The “Second Civil War”

Framing a new domestic struggle centered around labor and industry.

“A New ‘war between the states’ is shaping up. But while the first Civil War brought Generals Grant, Lee, and Sherman to the fore – the new struggle will be decided by names like General Motors, General Electric, and General Foods.”

This massive and somewhat inflammatory poster was published by Newsweek as its ‘Map of the Month’ in March, 1978. A simple outline map of the United States has been divided into four distinct sections -presumably at odds with each other in the allegedly forthcoming Second Civil War. Accompanying text and tables of statistics attempt to frame the economic trends that will precipitate the fractures.

Plainly speaking, Newsweek highlights how favorable business conditions in the South has greatly propelled regional growth, leaving other areas of the country to allegedly suffer. Low taxes, anti-labor legislation, low cost of living, and ‘friendliness’ of local governments are specifically mentioned. No reference is made to healthcare, education, economic diversification, transportation infrastructure, or other important factors. The climate, however, does come into play, both in the Far West and the Northeast – “For many Americans, Buffalo, N.Y., a decaying city paralyzed by merciless winter blizzards, has come to symbolize the troubled Northeast.”