What To Expect If The Balloon Goes Up

A couple of points given the trends of the past ten years.

Urban riots would likely see the deaths of primarily outlaws. People hidden in their basements, at least in the short term, are far less likely to become involved in armed confrontations than the predators who are out with plans of looting and mayhem. The looters won't be the only armed people and those shooting from cover are far more likely to win.

If there were martial law and if the military brought squad level weapons into the fray these weapons would soon be in the general population. Most civilians would die in this sort of confrontation but a few would get lucky and find themselves in possession of real war materiel. There are National Guard armories all over guarded by local people. The survivalist couple in their seventies who have RPG capabilities will suddenly become potent fighters. One Krugerrand will easily purchase an RPG and heavy weapons will be around.

A Molotov Cocktail is a destructive device under federal law, very illegal. But there's scarcely a household anywhere that doesn't have the components on hand to make them. Should there be a social breakdown we can expect to see them in play.

We don't really know what would happen for good or ill in a social breakdown but based upon historical events it may not all be bad. Unlike the Hungarians in 1956 we don't have the worry of a foreign power with a history of occupation who have an intimate knowledge of the country.