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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the USA is on the verge of civil war?

257 replies

spitofyou · 19/01/2026 07:22

I was reading this morning about trump readying 1500 troops to deploy to Minnesota following the murder of Renee Good.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/18/trump-minnesota-insurrection-act/

If this goes through, that’s it right? The insurrection act means he can suspend elections, and the military will be fighting the American people.

AIBU to think it’s inevitable at this point? Trump will never back down.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
itstimeforpudge · 19/01/2026 11:00

@OldGothsFadeToGrey the predictions for the US and Europe are indeed terrifying regarding Greenland. With Trump and Brexit we have played right into the hands of China and Russia.

StandFirm · 19/01/2026 11:01

EasternStandard · 19/01/2026 10:58

A few might want them to speak up but more probably find it irritating and irrelevant what an actor is saying beyond being paid well to do entertainment.

Yes, actors speaking up or not is a matter of their personal stance which they don't have to share with the wider public. It's how to them how they want to engage with politics.
I think however that the very message spread by American entertainment might change down the line and therefore how it's perceived abroad, and consequently, the appetite for it might change too.

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:04

marsaline · 19/01/2026 10:51

I think there might be better boards for you. This is a serious conversation about world politics and potential war with the US. It’s not about ET.

try tv and films

@marsaline

But I'm curious about how the film and TV industry would be affected in the event of a war. So in that sense, it's legitimate for me to be involved and ask that question. Because I'm concerned about how a war would affect my ability to enjoy the pop culture that I love.

I described what 'E.T.' was because the poster I was talking to had never heard of it.

MandingoAteMyBaby · 19/01/2026 11:06

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:04

@marsaline

But I'm curious about how the film and TV industry would be affected in the event of a war. So in that sense, it's legitimate for me to be involved and ask that question. Because I'm concerned about how a war would affect my ability to enjoy the pop culture that I love.

I described what 'E.T.' was because the poster I was talking to had never heard of it.

Edited

It’s also interesting because ET specifically is about a peaceful alien just trying to do a bit of gardening and is hunted down by federal agents and is hidden by a US citizen to protect it from torture & pain.

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:08

EasternStandard · 19/01/2026 10:58

A few might want them to speak up but more probably find it irritating and irrelevant what an actor is saying beyond being paid well to do entertainment.

@EasternStandard

Exactly - celebrities are constantly attacked when they do speak out and are lambasted for "getting political".

I think celebrities are entitled to speak out about whatever they want, when they want, but if they're tired of the verbal abuse they get for doing so, then I don't blame them at all if they stop for now.

oscalo · 19/01/2026 11:12

Follow the money. The puppet masters behind the puppet are the ones to watch. It's all about money, and they will not want to jeopardise that - for them and their ilk. I keep that in mind myself, as some comfort, however misplaced that might be in the long run. I'm thinking debt and other actions that the world could take against America in retaliation rather than armed conflict.

Epstein distraction. Yes that's a big factor, but honestly nothing will shock people now so I wonder what's behind the reluctance to release the files? One day and it's all over, unless others are affected who are below the radar now, but who might be destroyed if exposed. I dunno.

World Cup. FIFA. I wonder if that's a way for the world to show its displeasure and disgust by boycotting it. Sad for the teams who have trained so hard, but this is a global issue now. Does anyone think the WC will be affected? I know some games are in Mexico and Canada.

I agree with others that the anger, disappointment and fear amongst the population is only in pockets of the country where people are most affected, or Blue States. If your life goes on as normal, why would you worry?

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:14

StandFirm · 19/01/2026 10:55

It's a very difficult question.
I think most people watch US films and series because they're generally well produced and because they've shaped so much of how we understand narrative in film and tv. Other countries by and large have also adopted similar styles, so I think it's not as simple as 'US gone bad therefore we don't like any US entertainment anymore'. However, the thing about soft power is that it does rest on a message. Call it propaganda if you like, but however you look at it, entertainment is a way to disseminate certain values: who gets to be the hero, who gets to 'win', what's considered a good outcome morally speaking etc. If the US loses what was vastly considered to be some kind of moral leadership (despite its flaws and unpalatable foreign policies in previous decades), and the perception becomes that obviously American values no longer appeal, then I think we'll see people slowly but surely go off anything American produced.

@StandFirm

That's a very thoughtful post, thank you.

I suppose there is a very real possibility that US entertainment could, at the very least, become more difficult for me to access, or more inconvenient.

If it ended up being banned in this country, I would look for other ways to obtain the entertainment. I'm not sacrificing things that give me pleasure.

I'm thinking that I should maybe stock up on DVDs while I have the chance, though!

itstimeforpudge · 19/01/2026 11:14

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:04

@marsaline

But I'm curious about how the film and TV industry would be affected in the event of a war. So in that sense, it's legitimate for me to be involved and ask that question. Because I'm concerned about how a war would affect my ability to enjoy the pop culture that I love.

I described what 'E.T.' was because the poster I was talking to had never heard of it.

Edited

I think another related question is how to consume any kind of entertainment as Amazon Prime Video, Sky, Apple, Google, Netflix, Meta (Facebook, Insta, WhatApp) are US owned and based? Would they be shut down in Europe?

Would companies like Meta use the vast amounts of private data they collect on people who use their technology? Or is it possible that devices such as iPhones and Alexa, often accused of listening to conversations, could leak personal content, making private photos and messages public as part of a campaign of intimidation or fear against European citizens?

That leads me to wonder, what happens if, as a British citizen living in the UK, you work for a US company such as Google or Apple? Would they cease global teams?

We are so vulnerable in this interconnected and globalised world.

Livpool · 19/01/2026 11:15

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Wolverine23 · 19/01/2026 11:17

LlynTegid · 19/01/2026 08:06

I don't think it is close to civil war at all. The use of troops is very selective and in a small number of places, and most people in the US are not affected at all.

not affected 😂 the orange c**t has affected people

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:17

itstimeforpudge · 19/01/2026 11:14

I think another related question is how to consume any kind of entertainment as Amazon Prime Video, Sky, Apple, Google, Netflix, Meta (Facebook, Insta, WhatApp) are US owned and based? Would they be shut down in Europe?

Would companies like Meta use the vast amounts of private data they collect on people who use their technology? Or is it possible that devices such as iPhones and Alexa, often accused of listening to conversations, could leak personal content, making private photos and messages public as part of a campaign of intimidation or fear against European citizens?

That leads me to wonder, what happens if, as a British citizen living in the UK, you work for a US company such as Google or Apple? Would they cease global teams?

We are so vulnerable in this interconnected and globalised world.

@itstimeforpudge

That's why stocking up on physical media might be a good idea for anyone who wants to consume what brings them pleasure.

If we have the physical entertainment in our hands - CDs, DVDs - we can enjoy it at home.

EasternStandard · 19/01/2026 11:24

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:08

@EasternStandard

Exactly - celebrities are constantly attacked when they do speak out and are lambasted for "getting political".

I think celebrities are entitled to speak out about whatever they want, when they want, but if they're tired of the verbal abuse they get for doing so, then I don't blame them at all if they stop for now.

I think they’re in an incredible bubble and telling people who are struggling in various ways they’re wrong for thinking as they do could backfire. Most people probably do want real actors over AI but lecturing from a position of extreme privilege won’t help.

marsaline · 19/01/2026 11:29

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:04

@marsaline

But I'm curious about how the film and TV industry would be affected in the event of a war. So in that sense, it's legitimate for me to be involved and ask that question. Because I'm concerned about how a war would affect my ability to enjoy the pop culture that I love.

I described what 'E.T.' was because the poster I was talking to had never heard of it.

Edited

They were taking the piss because your comments are ridiculous. Everyone has heard of ET.

There is an interesting conversation to be had about whether the power of entertainment will be used to try to keep the rest of the world onside. In general Hollywood votes democrat and I suspect will resist attempts to use the industry for propaganda purposes. But this is a conversation about whether we are about to be at war over Greenland and whether the us itself will descend into civil war and you are derailing it by talking about ET. Perhaps start a different thread.

StandFirm · 19/01/2026 11:30

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:14

@StandFirm

That's a very thoughtful post, thank you.

I suppose there is a very real possibility that US entertainment could, at the very least, become more difficult for me to access, or more inconvenient.

If it ended up being banned in this country, I would look for other ways to obtain the entertainment. I'm not sacrificing things that give me pleasure.

I'm thinking that I should maybe stock up on DVDs while I have the chance, though!

Also, the way I personally look at it is that banning American culture would only serve to erase everything we love about the US. I for one am not going to bin an entire culture because of the current regime. However, outright pro-MAGA propaganda is not something I would want to own. I have many books by German authors in my house (pre and post WWII literature) but not Mein Kampf iyswim.
As for stocking up on DVDs you are totally right. Digital formats are problematic in the long run because you don't really own them, and most of the time it's contingent on having access to whatever services you downloaded them on (Kindle, Amazon etc.). DVDs, CDs and books are tangible products that you can actually own in perpetuity.

APatternGrammar · 19/01/2026 11:36

EasternStandard · 19/01/2026 10:24

People living in the US are most likely living their daily lives despite posts on here about civil war.

Even during an actual civil war people go about their day to day lives to the extent possible as there isn’t really any other option and the conflict isn’t everywhere at all times.

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:39

marsaline · 19/01/2026 11:29

They were taking the piss because your comments are ridiculous. Everyone has heard of ET.

There is an interesting conversation to be had about whether the power of entertainment will be used to try to keep the rest of the world onside. In general Hollywood votes democrat and I suspect will resist attempts to use the industry for propaganda purposes. But this is a conversation about whether we are about to be at war over Greenland and whether the us itself will descend into civil war and you are derailing it by talking about ET. Perhaps start a different thread.

@marsaline

It didn't occur to me that they could be taking the piss? Now that you've said it, I suppose that's a possibility, although you don't know for certain. I took them at their word.

I suppose I don't see it as a derailment because my overall point is about how my ability to consume entertainment would be affected IF there was a war. So it is pertinent to the general topic. I specified a particular film as an example of what is good entertainment, but it's not meant to be the crux of what I'm saying overall.

The ways in which a war might affect people is pertinent to this thread. I think some people are surprised that entertainment is the first thing I am thinking about, because for them, that is not the top of their list. And that's fine, for them.

But people differ over what concerns them the most. Entertainment is at the top of the tree for me in terms of what I personally care about and value, so I am naturally the most concerned about that.

SeriaMau · 19/01/2026 11:40

spitofyou · 19/01/2026 08:07

Every single person in America (citizen, immigrant and tourist) would be affected. The government would be declaring war on the population.

I think a Civil War would require an opposition to declare war on the government. Not the other way round. And we are a million miles from that. Which is not to say that lots of awful things aren’t happening.

APatternGrammar · 19/01/2026 11:41

Oopsylazy · 19/01/2026 10:58

Civil war with whom? Its own citizens?

It wouldn’t be much of a war when there’s not really any opposition would it?

Why don’t you go over and volunteer to fight OP if you think “something has to be done?”

That’s kind of how a civil war works… You can’t really have one with anyone else.
The majority of armed conflicts in the last decades have been intra-state so it’s hardly unusual. Our concept of war is shaped by our obsession with the word wars, but the reality of war today is very different.

GasPanic · 19/01/2026 11:45

SorcererGaheris · 19/01/2026 11:39

@marsaline

It didn't occur to me that they could be taking the piss? Now that you've said it, I suppose that's a possibility, although you don't know for certain. I took them at their word.

I suppose I don't see it as a derailment because my overall point is about how my ability to consume entertainment would be affected IF there was a war. So it is pertinent to the general topic. I specified a particular film as an example of what is good entertainment, but it's not meant to be the crux of what I'm saying overall.

The ways in which a war might affect people is pertinent to this thread. I think some people are surprised that entertainment is the first thing I am thinking about, because for them, that is not the top of their list. And that's fine, for them.

But people differ over what concerns them the most. Entertainment is at the top of the tree for me in terms of what I personally care about and value, so I am naturally the most concerned about that.

Civil war in the US would cause a lot of issues worldwide. The US is no longer the manufacturing powerhouse it was, but it still produces a huge amount of stuff, much of which is necessary for basic infrastructure like energy, transport, agriculture etc.

The US also produces considerable amounts of food and the worlds leading produced or hydrocarbons so taking that out would have a significant knock on effect for the rest of the planet.

Oopsylazy · 19/01/2026 11:47

APatternGrammar · 19/01/2026 11:41

That’s kind of how a civil war works… You can’t really have one with anyone else.
The majority of armed conflicts in the last decades have been intra-state so it’s hardly unusual. Our concept of war is shaped by our obsession with the word wars, but the reality of war today is very different.

Ye-es, I understand what a civil war is.

My point was there is no one to have the civil
war with so it’s kind of a moot point.

bombastix · 19/01/2026 11:52

SeriaMau · 19/01/2026 11:40

I think a Civil War would require an opposition to declare war on the government. Not the other way round. And we are a million miles from that. Which is not to say that lots of awful things aren’t happening.

That is not what happens. You have skirmishes over different parts of your country and an opposition or terrorist movement develops. It is awful, and in country like the US where so many are armed, hard to stop.

There would be a lot of foreign powers keen for the US to divide itself. Fighting is ideal. Lots of business to be done

EasternStandard · 19/01/2026 11:56

GasPanic · 19/01/2026 11:45

Civil war in the US would cause a lot of issues worldwide. The US is no longer the manufacturing powerhouse it was, but it still produces a huge amount of stuff, much of which is necessary for basic infrastructure like energy, transport, agriculture etc.

The US also produces considerable amounts of food and the worlds leading produced or hydrocarbons so taking that out would have a significant knock on effect for the rest of the planet.

Yes it would but I think they’re event of it unlikely. Who is fighting? Can someone describe the type of person who protests and votes say Mamdani. They are more likely to protest and be on social media.

Not aimed at you really, just wondering who these people are supposedly. More a question to the op

Underthinker · 19/01/2026 11:56

bombastix · 19/01/2026 11:52

That is not what happens. You have skirmishes over different parts of your country and an opposition or terrorist movement develops. It is awful, and in country like the US where so many are armed, hard to stop.

There would be a lot of foreign powers keen for the US to divide itself. Fighting is ideal. Lots of business to be done

Most of the civil wars I can think of, there is a geographic or ethnic component where a dividing line can be drawn. I struggle to imagine that happening in now in the US where you have for example Trump supporting middle aged men living in the same house as their lefty 20s daughters.

bombastix · 19/01/2026 12:02

Underthinker · 19/01/2026 11:56

Most of the civil wars I can think of, there is a geographic or ethnic component where a dividing line can be drawn. I struggle to imagine that happening in now in the US where you have for example Trump supporting middle aged men living in the same house as their lefty 20s daughters.

This makes it sound cosy. I think it’s going to be that ICE and use of force against ethnic groups and younger people is where it happens.

Civil wars are fought on ideas. Ours was

EasternStandard · 19/01/2026 12:06

Ethnic groups and young lefties going to war? I doubt it. The latter will be on social media and holding placards.

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