Culture | Return to Gettysburg

Americans are turning to stories of civil war, real and imagined

The real risks America faces are more insidious

An illustration of a protestor holding a megaphone in front of a cannon that has the American flag in it.
Photograph: Mari Fouz/Getty Images/Alamy

CALIFORNIA AND Texas, calling themselves the Western Forces, have seceded from the Union. Other states are following suit. The president, installed for an unconstitutional third term, vows that the uprising will be quashed quickly. He harnesses the full strength of America’s army and authorises the use of drone strikes on civilians. The Western Forces march on, determined to take the White House.

Explore more

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Return to Gettysburg ”

From the April 13th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Culture

An illustration of a stack of books that make up the American flag.

Want to spend time with a different American president?

Five presidential biographies to distract you from the news

Eames House, Chautauqua Drive, Pacific Palisades, California

Los Angeles has lost some of its trailblazing architecture

How will it rebuild?


A worker takes down a sign saying "shareholders", immediately after the UBS General Assembly which followed the emergency takeover of Credit Suisse

What firms are for

The framework for thinking about business and capitalism is hopelessly outdated, argues a new book


Greg Gutfeld, America’s most popular late-night host, rules the airwaves

The left gave him his perch

Why matcha, made from green tea, is the drink of the moment

Is it really a healthy alternative to coffee? Not the way Gen Z orders it