A big hoax of American history is that the Civil War ended in 1865. Unfortunately it has not ended yet. What was achieved then was more of an armistice.
As the current logjam in the U.S. Congress makes plain, the Civil War is still present in today's America — and with virulence that most other civilized nations find as breathtaking as it is irresponsible.
Plenty of U.S. commentators are trying to make light of the current situation. They argue that it is just a bunch of tea party Republicans who are causing the current mayhem. Such an interpretation underestimates the forces of history and the continuing deep divisions of American society.