July 29, 2003
American (dis)unity?
A little while back, Mesh linked to an essay by David Brooks, where Brooks argues that for all its apparent fractitiousness, we're really one united people when it comes down to it. This essay rang false for me, but I didn't have an immediate response, so I didn't say anything there or here. But after reading this Christopher Caldwell article at The Weekly Standard, I feel more ready to address the issue.
For me, the key part of the Caldwell piece is in the last paragraph:
"As for the general election, Republicans seem unaware of how riled up Democratic activists remain, even three years after the 2000 elections. A substantial segment of the party's base has been radicalized to the point where it does not recognize the legitimacy of the Bush presidency. This is a very different thing than mere dislike of a president. It means that Democrats are prepared to fight this election as if they were struggling to overthrow a tyrant. One fears that 2004 could wind up--in its rhetoric and its electoral ethics--as the dirtiest general election campaign in living memory." (emphasis in the original)
He's right. And pundits from Moore to editors of Salon do not hesitate to bring this up. We've got a Radiohead album called Hail to the Thief for crying out loud, and they aren't even American. I think the last election was a severe blow to the unity of America. Look at the results. Admittedly, we currently have a minority president, but uncommon as that is, it is technically legal due to the Electoral College system, and if I remember correctly, not unprecidented. But just look at the map. The divide is pretty clear: Gore got the Northeast, heavy industry Great Lakes region, and West Coast. Bush got everything else. If you want to do a land-area comparison, it's not even funny.
Men like Dean included, I don't think that anyone honestly believes that George W. Bush can actually be defeated next year. He's raised almost as much money as all his competitors combined, he continues to bring in outrageous approval ratings, and he cut taxes. How could this guy lose?
And that's the only thing that keeps be from being really bothered about the upcoming elections. If you thought the last election cycle was ugly, you ain't seen nothing yet. If the votes are anywhere near close, liberals are going to go completely apeshit. I'm pretty sure that Brooks' assessment of the unity of our country is wrong, and I'm pretty sure that he will be proven wrong in the next 14 months.
This county-by-county election results map shows the devide even more clearly.
Posted by: nick at July 29, 2003 10:26 AMSorry, here it is: http://federalist.com/news/e2000.html
How come you don't allow links in comments?
Posted by: nick at July 29, 2003 10:26 AMRyan, you're looking at the whole thing in terms of politics, so of course it seems divided. Of course you're not gonna see the Democrats and Republicans united, especially when you look at the issue in terms of Democrats and Republics during a Presidential election! That's just silly.
Now yes, Brook's articular had political content, explicit political content, but his question was whether, in light of the stark apparent differences in cultural groups in America there was some unifying factor where we could utter honestly "united we stand." He accepts everything you're saying about democrats being really riled up, and Bush seemingly unassailable etc. etc. etc. And he concludes that yes, America is still united and Americans are still motivated by their love of The United States. It's of course not the greatest foundation ever for unity, but its a start.
Thankfully, THANKFULLY, ideological differences (whether they be political or not) are not the sole, nor primary, determiner of unity, despite what Rorty & the rest might think. Life's a lot deeper than ideas.
I think the whole "rally round the flag" thing we saw was a last gasp, nor do I believe it was entirely genuine on the part of the left, as evidenced by much of their current posturing. I don't think the far left actually does love the US. After 9/11, they didn't come out in support of the Good Old USA, they merely shut up for a while. At least some of them did - the more extreme leftists kept it up. These people aren't stupid, they're just anti-American. They know when to keep their mouths shut most of the time, but that doesn't bring us any closer to unity.
Additionally, I doubt the depth to which people are actually devoted to the nation as such. Sure, we saw a resurgence in patriotism after 9/11, but more people displaying the flag does not a unified front make. I don't think sentiments were affected much.
Posted by: ryan at July 29, 2003 11:11 AMI think it's a pretty dark and cynical take on things to think that 9.11 had NO effect on the average American's attitude about America...
Posted by: JosiahQ at July 29, 2003 12:35 PMWhy? It doesn't seem to have done so as far as I can tell. Americans value resiliance as one of our chief virtues, and it seems that we've recovered pretty well. Many public figures actually seem to have forgotten 9/11 completely.
Posted by: ryan at July 29, 2003 11:31 PMA couple of things:
Consider Ryan, that some folks might not forget about 9.11 becas many folks aren't as cynical and hard-headed as you (and I say this, knowing just how hard-headed and cynical I am).
Further, I don't think most politicians have forgetten 9.11 even in purely pragmatic political terms, that is, using it for their own political ends or resenting another group for using it for their own political ends.
Posted by: JosiahQ at July 30, 2003 11:48 AM----I think the whole "rally round the flag" thing we saw was a last gasp, nor do I believe it was entirely genuine on the part of the left, as evidenced by much of their current posturing. I don't think the far left actually does love the US. After 9/11, they didn't come out in support of the Good Old USA, they merely shut up for a while. At least some of them did - the more extreme leftists kept it up. These people aren't stupid, they're just anti-American. They know when to keep their mouths shut most of the time, but that doesn't bring us any closer to unity.----
Really? Anti-American? Yet... they leave here... isn't that a bit strange?
Why to me it smells more like "Jews are anti-Germany" thing promoted by general libeal haters?
Posted by: S at March 6, 2004 12:48 PM