Is America's Regressive Left Starting a Second Civil War?

The new American left is the “biggest threat to freedom and Western civilization that exists today.”

These aren’t my own words, or those of any well-known conservative figure, but rather those of one particularly conscientious liberal commentator, Dave Rubin. Concerned over the growing intolerance of their own party, liberals like Rubin are finally waking up to the dangerous reality before us.

This reality, while not pretty, needs to be explicitly stated:

There are members of the far left attempting to start a civil war, and they’re willing to destroy our most fundamental and vital liberties in the process.

If you don’t believe the assertion, just take a moment to consider what happened in California earlier this week…

Wednesday night, a group of violent, left-wing protesters succeeded in shutting down a scheduled speech at UC Berkeley, where Breitbart figurehead and conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was planning to argue, ironically enough, that the American left is dangerously threatening free speech in America.

Playing right into the hands of Yiannopoulos, these members of what some are now calling the “regressive,” “intolerant,” or “illiberal left” showed their true colors.

In the most incongruent fashion, these self-proclaimed bastions of tolerance and moral good assaulted innocent conservative women, tore through barricades, and set fire to campus property…

All of this in an attempt to stifle the free exchange of ideas being expressed by a gay man with a black boyfriend… all of this in the name of “democracy,” “community,” and love trumping hate.

Becoming “Ungovernable”

The assertion that these regressives want war is no matter of hyperbole. Signs at the protest were a literal call to arms. “Become Ungovernable,” one read. “THIS IS WAR,” another bolstered. Men in black masks and covered faces paraded a banner encouraging others to punch their political opponents “in the fucking face.”

These are the violent and hypocritical American fascists threatening our natural freedoms today.

While many will rightly contest that there were peaceful protesters there too, the general backdrop at Berkeley Wednesday night was undoubtedly violent, with plenty of raw footage to back that up. As one video shows, protesters knock a man unconscious and continue to beat his lifeless body with sticks while others cheer them on.

It’s all quite disturbing, to say the least.

This kind of behavior from the regressive left is nothing new, though if your only source of news is the mainstream media, you might not even know it.

After all, headlines from outlets like CNN have long downplayed the severity of this kind of behavior by using the term “protest” and shifting blame away from their political allies. 

At this point, though, it’s time to call a spade a spade: this is domestic terrorism, plain and simple.

If that seems like an overstatement, here’s a well-needed refresher on the definition of terrorism: the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.

If that’s not what this is, then what else is it?

Early Stages of a Second American Civil War?

Regardless of your political stance, it’s important to stay in touch with the reality of this dangerous and evolving political climate.

The regressive left has found, as Rubin calls it, their “bogeyman” in President Trump and his supporters. By shamelessly downplaying real atrocities of the Holocaust and brandishing their political opponents as “Nazis,” these insurgents are now justifying acts of violence and civil unrest with Machiavellian precision.

“But this is how it starts,” they’ll say… and in a certain, ironic sense, they’re absolutely right.

Anyone who’s followed my commentary over the years knows I am by no means a doom-and-gloom pundit, but evidence is quickly mounting that this kind of political dissent will continue to grow, and it’s actually starting to concern me. There’s also very little doubt that this dangerous, violent ideology has the potential to throw U.S. markets into a tailspin if it’s kept unchecked, which is why I’m encouraging caution today.

The way I see it, we can really only expect this to go a few ways:

The first scenario is that the mainstream left follows the lead of folks like Dave Rubin by recognizing the danger here and biting the bullet: they stop doubling down on identity politics and catering to the regressive left. This would lose Democrats some initial political capital but could eventually end up swinging moderates back in their direction.

This is probably the most optimistic of scenarios for everyone involved.

The second scenario is that the left continues its current path, blindly opposing anything and everything Trumpian and overstating its case that we’re now living under a fascist regime. In doing so, Democrats and mainstream media would continue to embolden the regressive left, which will, in all likelihood, become increasingly aggressive and violent.

The offshoot of this second scenario isn’t a pretty one. Trump would very likely respond by cracking down on law and order, and regressives would use this as ammo as to why our newfound POTUS is “basically Hitler.” All it takes then is one martyr, one hot-button issue, and things could escalate very quickly.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Anyone who doubts this fact doesn’t have to look very far back for precedent. In March of 2011, Syrian protesters marched on Damascus following the arrest of a 14-year-old boy who had written a cryptic threat to Bashar al-Assad in graffiti.

Within three short months of those initial protests, 1,000 civilians (among them students, liberal activists, and human rights advocates) and 150 soldiers and policemen had been killed, and thousands were detained. Within a year, the Damascus Securities Exchange had plummeted 40%, and within five, the total kill count reached upwards of 600,000.

Of course, none of this is to draw a direct parallel between the U.S. and Syria, but it is to highlight just how quickly things can spiral out of control. America isn’t quite there yet, but we could be if we’re not careful.

For investors, this means it’s time to start considering the usual hedging strategies, as well as some newer alternatives. Gold, inverse ETFs, and Bitcoin will all become increasingly valuable investment vehicles if the pot continues to approach a boil.

For citizens, it means it’s about time to start considering what it means to be an American. Freedom of religion, speech, and press will all become increasingly valuable assets as we work to solve our differences.

No matter how appalling you may find a particular political ideology, the simple truth is that attempting to stifle the rights of others through intimidation or violence is not the kind of behavior any American can reasonably stand by. Not only is it un-American, but it is inherently threatening to our nation.

Screaming “Nazi” or “racist” at your opponents does not give you the moral high ground to punch them in the face, nor to beat their unconscious body with flagpoles. Regardless of how ugly someone’s speech may be, this is America, where freedom of expression ultimately reigns supreme.

For the sake of the nation, let’s all hope we can manage to keep it that way.

Until next time,

Jason Stutman

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