As Naomi Klein eloquently states in her book The Shock Doctrine, social and political instability has been used to push anti-government agendas. This has been very bad for liberal democracy in America, especially during the past 40 years. Now, with a global pandemic surging in America, related economic strife, heightened partisan rancor, and an upcoming election that is bound to test our trust of democratic systems, will instability develop into a breakdown of democratic systems? (And would this be the culmination of 40 years of Neoliberalism or the end thereof?)
Discussions about a “Second Civil War” are alarming (to say the least), and appear to be predominantly emanating from so-called “right-wing Bugaboo” movement, fueled by grassroots Qanon conspiracy pushers, big media like Fox News, and the Republican Administration’s blatant promotion of militarism and white, patriarchal nationalism. Add to this America’s nearly 400,000,000 guns in the hands of its citizens, and the idea of “war” suddenly seems more concrete than merely rhetorical.
But is it enough to break down American democracy to the point of irreparable procedural damage?