Tragic history of civil war echoes in today's America: National Interest

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- By analyzing the run-up to America's civil war and making comparisons with the present, a recent report by U.S. magazine The National Interest said history appears to be repeating itself.

An article carried by the magazine early this month said the road to the American Civil War developed in three distinct stages.

It said the United States has now passed Stage 1. During the past several decades, the nation was increasingly divided on various issues, but compromise was still possible.

The report said that topics like abortion rights, immigration, police reform and gun control are differentiated primarily by political party, education, and geographic plus urban/rural divisions.

The United States has arguably been in Stage 2 for the past half-decade.

As was the case in the decade before the civil war, this period includes continued deepening political, economic and cultural division: a greater willingness to use violence; greater vitriol against those with opposing views; less willingness to compromise on hot button issues; more loose talk about secession; and a media that fans these flames, it said.