Barbara Walter is a political scientist and professor at the University of California San Diego who specializes in studying civil wars. Here she joins Braver Angels CMO Ciaran O’Connor for a wide-ranging conversation on the current state of political violence in the United States, what America can learn from civil conflicts in other countries, and how we, together as citizens, can take a stand for peace.
I stopped talking to my dad because we voted differently
03/15/2025 No Comments
The more I was able to productively disagree with people, the more I realized that I didn’t need them to agree with me in order for me to be okay. I found strength and peace in myself that left me feeling more empowered, even when the world felt scary and out of control.
3 thoughts on “How Civil Wars Start — And How to Stop Them | Barbara Walter with Ciaran O’Connor”
Dr Walter commented that the South was better prepared than the North for the American civil war because of the existence of ubiquitous organized militias, mainly in preparation for slave revolts. This seems to bolster the idea that the 2nd Amendment was drafted with that in mind, not to guarantee anyone the right to own hugely destructive firearms
I loved this episode. In my opinion this was the most informative podcast from BA to date. It wasn’t filled with anecdotes presented as fact and there was actual real data to dive into and qualify the stance of the author! There were no conspiracy theories to debunk and Ciaran did an excellent job of representing questions both red and blue factions have. Proud to be a member. We need more of this thank you.
Enjoyed hearing this worry that many of us have explored from a view informed by the past history of many nations.