Our nation is more divided now than ever. Dems have stolen the White House and as Sen McConnell puts it, they are trying to transform America. They are trying to push their radical ideas on America, from gender identities, cancel culture, and worse they are trying to force critical race theory into schools. We are very much a nation divided. Politicians can’t even try to compromise on bills anymore. So it’s no wonder that Stanford University Researcher Ayaan Hirsi Ali claims she has seen this all before and it led to a civil war in her native country of Somalia.
“Numerous studies support the hypothesis that American life — not just politics, but life in general — has become deeply polarized. The deeply divided society we now live in increasingly reminds me of clan or tribal behavior in Africa.”
“We were captives of an echo chamber, hearing constantly of the evils of the neighboring Hawiye clan. We were taught from a young age that the Hawiye were coming to rape, rob, and destroy us. In response, we amassed weapons, hoarded food and exhorted young men (as young as 12) to join the military. The looming threat of the Hawiye was so great that my mother eventually sent my sister and me abroad.”
“In the end, because of such protracted tribal tensions, Somalia collapsed into civil war. Every attempt at mediation proved incapable of handling the deep-seated mistrust and hatred that accumulated by each clan over the years; tribal elders, reluctant to compromise, could not de-escalate the situation. With such high levels of distrust, the conflict spiraled into bloodshed.
While such violence has yet to seize America, all the tribalist ingredients are present. There is a blind commitment to one party or the other; emotions are running high; there is a lack of trust in civic institutions. If such tribalism isn’t overcome, it’s only a matter of time before the situation escalates.”
“We are, I fear, close to the precipice of serious destabilization. Many American cities are either militarized (Washington, DC), near a social boiling point (Minneapolis), or have capitulated to anarchist protests and pressures (Portland, Seattle). These tribal quirks run deep on both sides of the aisle. Many Republicans continue to dispute the legitimacy of the result of the last presidential election; while on the left, the woke are eroding the Democratic Party from the inside, as identity politics displace universalist aspirations. Some citizens are viewed as part of oppressive groups, some as part of oppressed groups. A person’s individual actions can generally do little to change the immutable characteristics of the tribe to which they belong.”
She is not alone in this belief as many have felt that a civil war is on the horizon if we can’t bridge this gap. But our current administration is radical to the point that many moderate Liberals are showing concern and they are rapidly changing our country. Hopefully, America can survive this polarization until we can find a way to come together again.