Scenario Planning: Civil War

Roundtable Discussion – Scenario Planning: Civil War

Background

We have in the past looked at various geo-political and economic scenarios that have prophetic words associated with them on the New Breed of Business. Here is a past such discussion that well describes the exercise: Economic Scenario Planning.

So, the other day I saw news that Texas was establishing a new Stock Exchange to compete with the New York exchanges. Unusual.

I also recalled how recently Elon Musk’s salary and bonus at Tesla famously was struck down by a judge in a Delaware court, where Tesla is incorporated (as well as most corporations). What was the solution? Get shareholders to vote to move the company legal HQ to Texas. The Musketeers got it done and now Musk will now once again receive a huge payday (estimated at $56 Billion).

I wondered: Is this a sign of corporate, legal and financial infrastructure being established in the “Red States” in a potential precursor to secession? The traditional home of exchanges in NYC and legal HQs in Delaware in the United States are now firmly “Blue States”. I’m thinking back to the civil war and how the confederate states wanted to seperate from the Union primarily for economic reasons which slavery was entangled with.

Today is Juneteenth. I didn’t get the inspiration for this discussion because of this day. It happened to be the same day, which I didn’t realize until this week. But I think that it’s interesting. Juneteenth is a remembrance and a celebration of the freeing of slaves and the end of the civil war, originating in Galveston, Texas almost 3 years after the end of the civil war!

Most people know there is undeniable data which reveals economic disparity between blacks and whites in terms of income and wealth. Which leads to questions about systemic racial inequities coming out of the African slave trade, civil war and Jim Crow. It’s complicated by how families were ripped apart as part of that slavery past, leading to similar disparities racially in single mothers vs. married couples, disparity in educational opportunities, the reality of “white flight” out of inner city neighborhoods., etc.

The Asbury Outpouring 2023

Here is something fascinating that our friend Joel Frazier brought to my attention. Did you know the history of the Asbury revival last year 2023? It was preceded by repentance over slavery, where a group of Christian leaders and students were reading the wills of slave owners and repenting. Here is the story of George Dumaine at Asbury: https://craigkeener.com/a-backstory-to-the-2023-asbury-revival/

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”

– Jesus, Matt 12:25

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln actually quoted this verse at the Illinois Republican State Convention on June 16, 1858?Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure… that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

– Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863

The political discourse in the United States between parties and their Presidential candidates is highly likely to reach new lows of anger and division this fall. We may have riots again like we did in 2020.

Of course, we pray for Jesus – the Prince of peace to come in the midst and heal our nation. But what if what is happening is a judgment on the United States? And we must go through some type of revolution or civil war like we have in the past – which also incidentally was tied to the first and second great awakenings?

And what if it isn’t so clear for Christians as Red v Blue? What if there is a “third column” that we need to be part of – that is the Kingdom of Jesus…