Thought game: What would a future revolutionary/civil war in the US look like (2020-2030)?

Okay, really don't know where to put this, but civil unrest may work. Basically my friend and I are working on a mini series/film that would follow fighters in a (not so distant) future US civil war. We have been brainstorming very hard. The series will be mostlt character and politically focused with some light fighting (think generation kill). It will focus on a small group and show both the good and the bad of these types wars (people fighting for what they believe as well as people indulging in the lawlessness).

We are plotti ng it out now and will show a group that has to intermingle with civilians, is at a disadvantage tech wise, are painted as domestic terrorists (and may be depending on perspective).

Both my friend and I are avid ATSers and have thought about this a lot, but neither of us have served in either the military or militia or anything like that. We just think it woukd be a very interesting thing to put to film.

Obviously there are no absolute answers, but in order to make it as realistic as possible we have several things that need answers. However any and all suggestions are welcome and though it will be a while before its finished we plan to post the episodes here as they are completed (via youtube). This isn't in conjuction with ATS or sponsered, we just figured there are people here that would enjoy such a show.

Consider the show would take place in the beginning months of the unrest and doesn't conclude with the end of said unrest.

Some of the questions:

Who are the players? Can and will the US use its military or would the goverment side be coast guard/militarized police/fbi/etc? Nato?

What would be non fighting civilian reaction.

What would be the extent of govt force and/or political efforts to avoid conflict?

How would the world and especially Americas enemies react?

Would anyone aid rebels? Foreign countries or not out of fear of US reprisal? Mexican cartels selling weapons? Russia?

Would the US military aid rebels or fight them?

What would they do with captured rebels (kinda obcious, but details)?

Finally just any cool facts, ideas, things you wouldn't care to throw in the ring.

That's all for now, we will add more questions as we think of them.




Important clarification: I don't mean to be rude, but we are only interested in the answers to the above questions. We aren't interested in plot suggestions or concepts. We are only trying to fill in the small details to make the story more plausible not to move the storyline. We dont need any plot ideas..

I assume you mean a civil war where the players are the civilians versus the government.

If that is the case it simply will not happen since the military is made up of those very same civilians as well as law enforcement.

It is highly unlikely that enough people in the military or law enforcement will side with the group that is exterminating their friends and families to effectively hold back 100 million people on the other side.

Your film would make more sense if it focused, not on a war, but on increased civil disobedience similar to the clashes during the Civil Rights movement.

That would add credibility to your film and not make it a work of fiction worthy of a Chuck Norris film.

something like this.

reply to post by Tinkerpeach


You assume incorrect.
It will focus on small guerilla groups that intermingle with the population and are onsidered domestic terrorists as that is the most likely scenario.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow


Very good then, I misunderstood your original idea, my apologies.

What exactly would you like help with than?

I went to college for political science with a focus on American History so I am familiar with all the cases of civil disobedience, riots, and general unrest that have occurred over the history of the nation if that may be of any help to you.

Something I would add in to your story as the catalyst for sparking this "terrorism" is the general underlying fear that Americans have and often fall victim towards.

Times such as the Red Scare, the fear of Japanese on the West Coast, or any number of issues that can cause a mass paranoia feeling across the nation would be a great way to lead in to your story.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow


I'm posting this without reading any replies, just on the title.

As I have no idea what will happen, I was thinking of a joke reply and for some odd reason thought of Manson's crap about the black man rising up, taking over and failing, therefore needing his, Manson's, help.

Then my mind thought, wait, isn't that happening right now, and maybe he was right? A half-black President IMHO is viewed as black by the average Joe. He's not doing too well and well, again, IMO, and seems to need some good advice because he doesn't seem to be handling the situation very well.

My blood sugar must be low. For that to make sense there would have to be something wrong with me.

Carry on.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow


Hmmmm you should read the comic book the DMZ which in New York Set in a Second American Civil War in the near future

Midwestern militia groups revolt against their local governments in protest of rampant U.S. adventurism overseas and, in the absence of the National Guard, are able to gain far more ground than they thought possible. Small insurgent groups pop up in towns and cities across the country, and a sizable force, the Free States Army, pushes toward Manhattan. The city proves too big for them to take, and also for the U.S. Army to defend. The war stalls there, a stalemate, neither side being able to shift things.[7]

en.wikipedia.org...(comics)

From indie comics icon Brian Wood (Demo, Channel Zero, GLOBAL FREQUENCY) and up-and-coming Italian artist Riccardo Burchielli (John Doe) comes the first volume of DMZ, collecting the first 5 issues of the series about the ultimate embedded war journalist trapped in a most unlikely war zone: the streets of New York City.In the near future, America's worst nightmare has come true. With military adventurism overseas bogging down the Army and National Guard, the U.S. government mistakenly neglects the very real threat of anti-establishment militias scattered across the 50 states. Like a sleeping giant, Middle America rises up and violently pushes its way to the shining seas, coming to a standstill at the line in the sand — Manhattan or, as the world now knows it, the DMZ.Matty Roth, a naïve young man and aspiring photojournalist, lands a dream gig following a veteran war journalist into the heart of the DMZ. Things soon go terribly wrong, and Matty finds himself lost and alone in a world he's only seen on television. There, he is faced with a choice: try to find a way off the island, or make his career with an assignment most journalists would kill for. But can he survive in a war zone long enough to report the truth?" - See more at: www.vertigocomics.com...

www.vertigocomics.com...

reply to post by TheSpanishArcher


Yeah.. I expect a lot of joke replies, but this is something that will see fruition. It's not going to be an amatuer project.

I expect a lot of people getting way too serious and saying impossible, etc. Keep in mind this is a movie people. In the worls of red dawn and the princess bride these things happen. We just want to make it as plausible as possible to entertain while it pulls you into a seemingly possible reality.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow


And the race is on! I too am a aspiring author and have penned a few chapters along the same lines. Been working on it since April. But I will admit writers block at the moment.

Good luck!

The powers that be would still control the power grids and food distribution, transportation and communications. The Military and cops would side with the food and the welfare of their families and follow orders. Nazi Germany ring a bell?

Of course there would be pockets of resistance but they would be mostly ineffectual and quickly disposed of because they would have a very hard time finding recruits as most citizens would bend over and take what the power elite dished out. ex. food and water. Even rural communities would be at the mercy of tptb if the power was cut off. We are so reliant on technology....who really controls that aspect of our lives?

It's much, much to late for any type of revolution or uprising. Do you think tptb haven't made contingency plans for just such an event?

By 2030 our dystopian future will be assured with a Corporate run power structure. The neocons wet dream!!!

reply to post by starwarsisreal


No, I try to avoid contaminating my writing with other similar ideas so I don't subconsciously write anyrhing similar. Writing is what I do. When its done it won't be like anythibg else. The premise of a second civil war has been done many times. This will be unique.

Thanks for the suggestion though. It sounds like something I might enjoy once we are sone with the script.

Well just use a story line of a massive screw-up by the GOP somewhere that leads to a supermajority of Congress being voted in who are all extremely left-wing and a very progressive President who decide to get rid of the second amendment and take everyone's guns.

Obviously there will be much armed resistance and even many guerilla groups forming to counter this. You could describe how this snowballs into a kind of civil war.

It would be logical that the military or law enforcement would support this action as they are following what is now written or in this case, not written in the Constitution.

reply to post by olaru12


I disagree. If they did what you describe it would turn the entire country and military against them.

Think business as usual for a large part of the country, people that don't fight, people that are sympathetic to the govt and would tell on rebels, people sympathetic to the rebels, rebels and gov military.

reply to post by Tinkerpeach


Thanks, but im really just looking for thoughts on the questions listed the plot is taken care of.

reply to post by TDawgRex


No worries, this is solely a film project and a very self contained story.

Originally posted by GogoVicMorrow
reply to post by Tinkerpeach

 

Thanks, but im really just looking for thoughts on the questions listed the plot is taken care of.

Without knowing the details of your plot it is impossible to give you answers to your questions that would hold any relevance.

Its like asking someone to recommend good tires for your car without telling them what type of car you drive.

A civil war? Or a revolutionary war to overthrow our government? I used to think it wouldn't go so well for the masses being that in general, we are not equally armed as our forefathers time where the "right to keep and bear arms" was more of an equal playing field. Though Americans (many) are armed to the teeth the truth of the matter is a drone or air strike could take out any resistance pretty easily. We would be but mere ants to be squashed.

As far as your movie ideas...I think a resistance against the corporations that are backing the government would be something the average viewer could easily relate to. I know I could! There could be hacker resistance groups who infiltrate to sabotage the corporations, characters that go in undercover to work for said agencies. Hmm...kind of fun to imagine.

Originally posted by GogoVicMorrow
reply to post by olaru12

 

I disagree. If they did what you describe it would turn the entire country and military against them.

Think business as usual for a large part of the country, people that don't fight, people that are sympathetic to the govt and would tell on rebels, people sympathetic to the rebels, rebels and gov military.

We live in a WalMart society of fat, stupid, lazy, alcohol and drugged up yahoos. I don't see many rebels in that bunch. Materialism and entertainment is the epitome of America. Culturally and morally bankrupt.

Who will be the leaders? ATS isn't a good demographic to base much futurist theory on.

I'm also a script writer and reality doesn't count for much when you reach the pitch end of your project.

I use this.....
www.celtx.com...

and good luck...it's all about the story but when you get ready to shoot a trailer...give me a u2u

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow


Well I wonder though are you gonna portray one side as completely good while the other evil or are you going to explore both sides pro and cons?

Baptists vs Methodists vs Episcopalians
The above though fighting each other at home (in northern Georgia) combine forces when not at home to combat the Catholics and Mexican Militia.

The Catholics are fighting the Atheists in New England and the Atheists sometimes attack the Bloods and the Crips in East New York. The gangs in the North East are constantly sending missiles into the Appalachian interior as the Local Law Enforcement but heads with the Feds on various interstate battle grounds conducted at abandoned shopping malls and fair grounds.

The Texans side with most of the Southern Christian Militia (when they're not fighting each other) and often stage attacks on the Catholic Front that recently lost its footing in New Orleans and is now pushed up into New Haven and beyond.

The Hells Angels have their own agenda and one is never sure who's side they are on. Proceed with caution.
The Black Panthers have a small army that practically owns Chicago, yet Rural Christian based militias keep a tight lock on the rest of Illinois.

For the most part, the Us Military has control in the Rockies and other, deeper mid western areas. In general, any group that attempts to stick their head out in that area will be taken out with extreme force.

The West Coast from San Diego all the way up to Oregon is emerged in a continuous battle between splinter groups of white militias and mexican/catholic cartel gangs. In the deep wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, several militia "armies" hold tight grips on numerous communities.

Alaska for the most part is a non-battleground issue with the Military staging supplies and troops through-out most cities and towns.

Life in Manhattan seems to go on as usual throughout the entire 12 year civil war that ends up redrawing borders and creating 24 new "countries" with independent cultures and value systems.

All of the above embracing the new world currency of the Yuan.