1 THE brightside
BECAUSE I WRITE ABOUT CURRENT events for a living, people often let me know their thoughts and worries. By far the most common question I hear goes something like this: Have Americans ever been more divided than we are today? Given that every schoolchild learns of our brutal Civil War—in which more than 600,000 people died, a President was assassinated, and the economies of 11 Southern states were decimated—it’s an alarming query.
Yes, things have been much worse . . . but it’s scary that we’re asking.
I think the question reflects a widespread worry that America is becoming brittle, that we are hung up on differences when the times demand unity of purpose. On this 240th birthday of the USA, it’s fair to ask, Are we any more prepared to absorb domestic tensions and respond to international turmoil—from refugee crises to Brexit—than we were in earlier eras? Are we growing stronger with age, or have the institutions of American society become feeble?
NEW YORK CITY
@BFGALYEAN
Our wheezy old political parties appear to have settled on two of the least popular presidential candidates in modern history. Donald Trump, the Republican, oozes contempt for the emollient civility of civic life. Democrat Hillary Clinton’s slog to the nomination has left her party divided and her credibility in tatters. Both have
