To think civil war in the west is impossible

[GoldfishParade]

Yesterday I watched The Social Dilemma and at the very end, the former head of Facebook is asked what his worries are in terms of where he thinks the mass control of peoples mentalities via social media will lead.

He says his biggest fear is civil war.

But considering how much tech and power governments, police, armies have these days AIBU to think civil war in western countries is just impossible? Also civil war between who and why? What's most likely?

I'm wondering if that was just put in at the end to ramp up the drama and get more views (ironic considering the subject matter).

We’ve had civil wars in the west well within living memory. Why would it be impossible now?

Definitely not impossible. The status quo can be swept away in a heartbeat. Security is really an illusion and much more easily gone than you think.

Unless you are very young, there has been civil war inside what are now European Union countries within your lifetime (Croatia, Slovenia).

Indeed the Troubles in Northern Ireland had many features of a civil war and if you're posting on a parenting forum you were probably born after the signature of the Belfast Agreement.

What do you think Brexit is, in terms of leading to Scottish independence? Civil wars can look either very violent or “bloodless”. They usually start out bloodless but then progress.

My DH has been a UN peace keeper in two European civil wars and isn't yet retirement age.

Can I suggest you do some reading?

Of course civil war is possible anywhere. Just look at what is going on in America at the moment.

@HallFloor my cousin too!

Honestly are people really this sheltered?

Presumably you don’t think NI counts?

Wtf do you think the IRA were doing for all those years? Or the Basque sepratists? Or the Sandanistas?

Governments only have that sort of power for as long as the police and the army do what they're told. Also there are different bits of government and they don't always see eye to eye.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been wondering what happens if Donald Trump barricades himself inside the White House in January.

You seem to imply in your post that the reason a civil war could not happen is because the governments and those in control of the army, tech etc are ‘the good guys’ and have the ability to suppress any rebellion or anti government felling. But what if they’re not the good guys? What if Trump had ordered the rounding up and internment of Muslims, blacks and anybody else he didn’t like? What if he channeled funds and contracts to his family and friends? What if he manipulated the law to allow himself stay in power and then used his access to the army, tech to suppress any dissent? (None of this is a million miles from things he has tried to do incidentally). Eventually living under this level of suppression results in a backlash and rebellion, and can lead to civil war.

Northern Ireland.....?

If 2020 has taught us anything it's surely got to be that our society is fragile and that anything can happen.

Also, East of here doesn't equate to backward, Syria wasn't the backward hopeless nation people in the UK seem to think it was, it was a developed country with professionals.

Yup, like everyone else has said, the UK's last civil war only ended 22 years ago and the repercussions are still felt today.

Brexit could well trigger one! Wztch this space...

YABVU and naive.

OP you have a very short memory.
I can think if at least 3 since the 90’s

The on going civil war between Turkish and Kurds.

Of course civil war is possible. I think in this case he was talking about the US with its increasingly bitter social, economic, political and ideological divisions, but it can happen anywhere and indeed has happened in our lifetime (the Troubles comes most immediately to mind). The question is not if such things will happen again, but when.

Let's hope so. We may find out next year.

We've had civil war in the UK within living memory of anyone in their 30s and up!

Honestly, I think if Trump doesn't vacate the White House in January there'll be a civil war in the States. I worry for my friends out there, especially in light of the recent legal action.

As other posters have said, civil war has happened relatively recently here in the West. I remember Srebrenica.

Those of you saying "hello? NI?" etc: yes, I'm not an idiot. Spain, NI, Yugoslavia.

But those civil wars are over. Now international institutions play a much bigger role than they did. IMO we wont see a physical civil war but I expect to see much more hacking activity and for there to be a kind of 100% digital civil war.

@GoldfishParade how would a "digital civil war" be different to a normal war? It would still be catastrophic and arguably have even more reach, just as spears and shields moved onto tanks and rocket launchers, of course warfare will become more digital, it would still be a war, hence money being funnelled to the MOD for cyber security.

So yes we in the hailed west could still very much fall to any kind of civil war.

Also, you're being extremely ignorant crying "but not now" like a petulant child, try saying that to those who experienced those civil wars first hand as they are still very much in living memory.

Of course it's not impossible. Syria was a stable country - although admittedly not a democracy- and within 2 years was a pile of rubble.

Then of course, other civil wars and genocides in the last 50 years or so have proved that humans are violent, and in the right circumstances can do terrible things.

@shallbe
I think you're using needlessly emotive language here. Of course the knock on impact of the wars still lives on. My point is there hasnt been a new case of civil war in the west in a while.

And if you think a digital war is on par with bombings and shootings then maybe you could do with reflecting on that yourself.

There's a civil war happening right now in the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, which although geographically in Western Asia is part of the European Neighbourhood policy.

So you'll need to tell us what you mean by "west".