We have all heard one of the underlying problems in the Middle East. Federal or state governments, such as Pakistan and some of the northern provinces, are supporting terrorist groups both within their own country and as a way of warring with neighboring countries without publicly declaring hostilities. But it seems that the US is now having the same problem. States, public officials and right wing individuals are now supporting domestic terrorism and encouraging, in word and deed, actions against the federal government and constitution.
Consider North Carolina that is attempting to install a state religion. Most people would recognize this is not constitutional. But to the North Carolina legislature, that is irrelevant.
We see sheriffs across the country deciding which gun laws they are going to enforce. We see southern and plain states attempting to role back abortion laws in spite of federal rules prohibiting it. Republican states are refusing to implement Obama care and now threatening to reduce medical care to everyone.
Voting rights are being restricted across the south in an attempt to limit the vote to white property owners.
Now we are seeing the rise of the white supremacy groups and religious fanatics apparently taking up arms against federal authority with the support of state or local politicians.
It appears that the right wing fanatics, backed by national politicians and pundits like Perry, Hucklebee, Limbaugh, McConnell and supported by elected officials such as attorney generals and secretaries of state along with many religious leaders in red states have decided they are not going to support or enforce federal law. Instead, they are going to encourage people to ignore of break federal law and see what, if anything, the feds can do about it.
These leaders are following the example of other countries that encourage surrogates to fight their cause without them having to actually get in the line of fire. But they reap the benefits of the confusion and anarchy that they really want.
It seems that we have to accept that the US is now facing the same problems as other areas of the world where the wealthy and local warlords are trying to solidify their local power. While the old south has never stopped fighting the civil war and now appears to be exporting their war to other regions of the nation. I think that this is going to be a problem in the next ten years as the country is broken apart over religious and racial issues that are either going to have to addressed head on and forcefully or just accept the transformation of the US from a federal system to a confederacy.