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Does Anybody Win a Culture War?
Somebody gains from sowing division, but it’s not you or me
Months back, I vowed to stop writing about politics
But that doesn’t mean I won’t write about democracy, or about what it means to be an American in these critical days. Especially having just passed the first anniversary of January 6, 2021 — a day that I believe ranks with 9/11 in terms of existential threat to the nation — the state of our Union is a topic that is with me, waking and sleeping. I find myself ricocheting, feeling hopeful and resolved one moment, frightened yet resigned the next. I know I’m not alone in this.
There is growing, general agreement that America is in deep trouble. In December, reported on a poll conducted by Public Agenda which found that most Americans are sick of the shouting and divisiveness and would rather focus on making life better for more of us: “Nearly three of every four Americans said it would be good for the country if Americans “reject political hostility and divisiveness and focus more on their common ground.”
But the same poll found that few Americans expect that to happen. “Fewer than one in 10 surveyed think political rancor between ordinary Americans will decrease in the next 10 years, compared to nearly half who think it will…
