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

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.“Civil War” arrives in cinemas on April 12th. The film does not offer an explanation of how this fictional version of America descended into chaos; instead, it follows a group of journalists and immerses the viewer in the fog of war. According to , the writer-director, anyone who has followed American politics in recent years will “know exactly what the fault lines and pressures are”. Perhaps he sees no need to point out the country’s bitter polarisation, the loss of faith in the organs of government or the threat posed by a former president who thinks are for other people.