We Would Rather Fight Than Figure Things Out Together

This is perhaps America’s biggest crisis

An angry, raging crowd of protestors — image generated via MidJourney

The United States of America isn’t very united. In fact, we are probably as divided as we’ve ever been since the American Civil War. We’ve become a seriously divided and toxic nation, particularly when it comes to anything related to politics.

While we may not (yet) be on the brink of bloodshed (at least of the magnitude of the aforementioned Civil War), our ability to function as a unified society has been severely eroded.

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would disagree with the following observations:

• “Political polarization has made it more difficult for the government to function effectively. This is because it is more difficult for the two parties to reach agreement on important legislation.” (The Consequences of Political Polarization, The New York Times, 2019)
• “The two parties have become increasingly ideologically sorted, with Republicans moving to the right and Democrats moving to the left. This has made it more difficult for them to find common ground on important issues.” (The Polarized Public, Pew Research Center, 2014)
• “The rise of cable news and social media has made it easier for people to consume news and information that confirms their…