Submitted 3 days ago by schizoidman@lemmy.zip to globalnews@lemmy.zip
https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2026/01/what-americans-think-about-american-power-today
cross-posted from: lemmy.zip/post/58043337
Most Americans believe the United States is declining in global power and influence, and nearly two-thirds say China’s power now equals or exceeds that of the United States, according to a nationally representative poll designed by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace scholars.
Personally I think the reason for the decline in American power is obvious. The civil war never ended. It just went cold. We have tolerated supporters of the Confederacy for so long the rest of us thought they had let it go.
We thought allowing them to frame a violent coup against our government and the murder of fellow citizens as a dignified part of their heritage would foster inclusiveness and promote unity.
We gave them the benefit of the doubt.
We stayed silent when they rebranded the Republican party and the GOP. How many people know it stands for Grand Old Party? Sounds awfully 1800"s to me. Racists, Christians, militants, and more, all operated as splinter cells responding to dog whistle politics in lock step. For 40 years they have been gathering power in plain sight.
In 2000 bush proved that the levers of government could be used to galvanized their base. Suddenly the concept of red and blue states was an accepted cultural division. The lines had been drawn. The only goal for the GOP was to weaken and obstruct the flow of governance.
Then came the cool black guy and the shadow Confederacy collectively decided enough was enough. Suddenly we have the tea party. We have birthers. We had an entire political party determined to destroy what it couldn’t improve, mere obstruction was not enough.
Now recent history comes into focus. Why did they live Trump even though he was clearly appointing the worst possible candidates for every job? Why did the continue to support him despite blatant corruption? Why did they not care about his slide into authoritarianism? Why was it so culty?
Because the modern Confederates never stopped wanting to destroy the US government. They were finally getting revenge. “Owning libs” and “anti woke” had nothing to do with Democrats. It was the final dog whistle to signal open warfare against the culture who defeated the South.
They want to dismantle everything the US has accomplished since the civil war and to resume rebuilding it in their image as though Lincoln had never happened.
To be absolutely clear. The US is currently undergoing a coup. All rights will be revoked. Everything that was “American” will end. There will be retribution for The War of Northern Aggression.
There is no plan for governance. No happy ending; only punishment. What is to come will make Nazi Germany look like a rivalry between football fans. Holocaust level depopulations will be counted by the dozens.
Once the government is effectively dissolved and the people broken, the oligarchs will balkanizethe remains and establish fidedoms and city States with enslaved populations.
In 20 years the former United States will be a collection of North Koreas and Israels with city prisons and apartide oaises.
Sweet dreams.
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 3 days ago
I do so wish there were more options than democrat, republicans, and independent.
If I were to answer truthfully I’d say I’m an independent, but that makes me sound like some libertarian whack job.
Which is wrong because I’m an anarchist whack job. And I feel that nuance is missing.
whereIsTamara@lemmy.org 3 days ago
It suck to have to vote for a group of people who don’t really have your interests at heart, but are the ones less likely to destroy your life.
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 3 days ago
What a stupid world.
I’ve no sympathy at all