Perhaps we should start with our country being built on the backs of slaves. We should start with the admission of committing genocide against the Native Americans. White America has much to hold itself accountable for. Let's start with that first.
These things are undoubtedly true. Is it your belief that foregrounding them in a political narrative is a winning approach to building a multiracial coalition for democracy?
I believe in holding yourself accountable. It is the core of my being. It’s a way to move forward. Yes- I do believe it’s a way to build a multiracial coalition. When you can make amends for past hurts, past sins & understand how that affected people & how they move through the world, those people can begin to heal. Otherwise these things metastasize and are not always at the surface- but always present. How we can turn this into a winning political strategy? I don’t know what that looks like. Not yet anyway.
I don’t know the rules are about providing links so I will suggest checking out the Racial Equity Institute in Greensboro, NC. After everyone takes the basic training to learn about the history of racism, a very unique feature for graduates is that white people meet as a group to continue to deepen their understanding and learn how to be effective allies. We understand that whether we mean to or not, we create the conditions for hurts to remain open for people of color. I am being careful not to say we, “cause hurt” because that implies that people of color don’t exercise autonomy in choosing their reaction. I find this work, this practice to be a way to hold myself accountable to a degree. Will stop here but maybe Anand coukd do a show on reparations and how that could bring some healing.
Hi Jacquelyn-don’t know if this will help… I taught 7th grade world History. When we started our unit on the slave trade, we sat in a circle and I asked each student-did anyone here engage in slavery? Of course the answer is no. I knew it was going to be uncomfortable for all the kids so it was important to address the topic as history. Of course we also addressed the economic advantage slavery had for white people and how that still shows up today in unearned advantages. We talked about reparations-they learned about internment of Japanese people and reparations for them so they could grapple with this. So yes and no to your question-yes, teach the history and that does come first but no, we can’t start there to solve the challenges of today because that is history. Jacquelyn, here something that helps me - I know I can be right or I know I can be connected to my fellow man but I can’t be both. Even when it is hard to the point where I want to crawl out of my skin at the prospect of even being in the same airspace with folks who hold views that are so antithetical to mine, I choose connection. I really appreciate Anand’s work because he is creating a community where we are supporting each other through the challenges of living out our ideals -it is so hard-it is exhausting, but the alternative is just not an option.
Thank you for the response. Holding yourself accountable is not the same as wanting to be right. I went to the Anne Frank exhibit with my mom a few weeks ago. There are many parallels from that period of history compared to what is happening in our country today. It's like watching a slow motion train wreck happen and we are unable to stop it. Learning history, the good and the bad should help you know what not to do today and recognize when there are bad actions that could lead to worse ones.
And my larger point is understanding how other people move through the world. Knowing their history helps with this. It makes you a better neighbor and a better citizen.
I can imagine how emotionally taxing that had to be. I taught Anne Frank jointly with the Language Arts teacher to middle school kids. Short of reparations and continuing to teach our history in schools and public places and spaces-what more can we do to hold ourselves accountable? Trying to get behind what drives people’s choices and actions might help. I am a student of Marshall Rosenberg’s nonviolent communication (I wish he had picked a better title). We learn about our shared human needs like mutuality, contribution, learning. This is a hack job but basically we all try to have our needs met through strategies like-I will cook dinner and you will do the dishes-voila-mutuality. Problem is we often choose crap strategies like storming the capitol to get your need for safety, belonging, to be in contribution, met. If you pick poor strategies, yep, there should be consequences-that is accountability right. Thank you for sharing. I think I am probably starting to be annoying in the amount of words I am putting into this thread-again, I just found this post by Anand to be so refreshing-I want the hope I am finding in the post/thoughts shared by Khanna, to get solid air time. 🙂 you can google NVC and the way they try to understand the rioters’s actions.
You are not being annoying with all your words at all! That is what this space is for. I love that about substack. So far I've had nothing but good exchanges with everyone on any of the various substacks I comment on. The biggest reason I pay for Anand is b/c he is alway calming. (I am not always calming)
My first thought after reading your most recent comment was "I gotta look up Marshall Rosenberg". Now I learn something new b/c I had this nice post with you. How cool is that? I will also look into NVC on my lunch. I've been half working, half looking at Substack- I need to put this down for a little bit.
Anand-could you track the number of new subscribers you get from this post? I just paid because this is what I want to hear more of-I don’t want to hate my fellow Americans. Folks-we can be right or we can be connected-we can’t be both.
Sadly, Nancy, this one probably won't bring in subscribers. Fanning the flames of outrage works wonders, which is why people do it. When you try to bring people together, it somehow doesn't work as well. But we're not going to back down from what we do here.
Me and Bob B both became subscribers! I really believe you are on to something with this one. I shared that I taught middle school social studies-truly the kids resonate with the vision Khanna paints. Now as they get older, my experience is that they start to fragment but that has a lot to do with how we set up highschool to track kids which naturally shrinks the diversity of their friend groups. Don’t you think that a lot college kids look forward to having a more expansive peer experience? I do. I also see the young professionals in my city gravitating towards intercultural friend groups and experiences. No doubt though that having friends across socioeconomic lines becomes increasingly difficult. Thanks for all you do - I know it will sound corny but because you used the word sadly, I want to say, please don’t be sad-you have created an incredible community and space for good things to take root and grow. 🙂
This is very interesting and helpful. However, where are the women in this? Where is misogyny? And anti-queer violence and bigotry (which I believe is based upon misogyny) in this?
I’m curious to understand what American hasn’t faced tumultuous changes in their “way of life”. Why does maga believe they are unique in this sense? And is that faction so steeped in their grievance that they are unreachable?
Hi Susan. I think it is because they are grieving. We humans get kicked into the grief cycle whenever our expectations for how we think things should be are dashed. So when our partner dies, our expectation of the life we were going to live together is dashed. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. If you’ve ever come alongside someone grieving a loss you know how hard it is to stick with them through these stages. A person with basically intact emotional and head space will come to realize that while things will be different they are going to be okay. It sucks but I feel called to try to love some along the process-man are too many of them being real weenies. Oh, and we too are grieving-never in a million years did I expect my fellow Americans to elect this guy once let alone twice. I am accepting that it happened but not yet giving up on the American experiment.
I live in an area that’s immigrant rich - Chinese, Russian, Orthodox Jews, so many varieties of white & black. This means we have lots of holidays! I understand what he’s saying- it takes a bit of muscle and first most imho is kicking out white superiority. Ooo, that hurts. But once passed that hurdle, things get better.
Anand, I listened intently to your conversation with Mr. Khanna, and came away very impressed with his outlook and his thoughts on where we are. And where we need to go.
And I was equally impressed with both your line of questioning and your thoughts as you’ve laid them out here. I’ve upgraded to paid as it’s so refreshing to read about our possibilities for the future as opposed to fear mongering or just bashing one side or the other. Kudos to you my friend.
I respect very much what both you Anand and Rep. Ro Khanna are calling and/or wishing for. However, as on who has written two textbooks on integration as well as the textbook, Violence and Nonviolence: Pathways to Understanding, I appreciate the sentiments and the lost of respect, etc. that underlies not only the project, but these emotionalities involved, especially with respect to the lack of respect for the MAGA folks, yet I do not think that this kind of reconciliation or restorative justice is about to play out. I wish that I were wrong. Here's a link to the 2003 textbook: https://www.amazon.com/Violence-Nonviolence-Understanding-Gregg-Barak/dp/0761926968
This might seem like a tangent, but lately I just can't stop thinking of China Mieville's book 'The City & The City.' If you haven't, you should read it. It's certainly not a direct overlay to our times, but yet. (I'm not going to try and explain it here)
Suffice to say, it's not like I'm walking down the street unseeing people, but I can't help but feel sometimes that someone I pass in the grocery store isle may, in a sense, be living in a completely different place I don't recognize. Not only is seeing their world challenging for you, but in someways it's also taboo. Even though your worlds are actually the same one. Crossing that divide can be frightening, because you risk being alienated from everyone.
Since Donald Trump thinks the solution to any criticism of his INSANE NONSENSE is “litigation”…then allow me to suggest EVERY SINGLE ‘ENLIGHTENED’ AMERICAN “SUE” HIM!
EVERYONE who feels he is destroying the Constitution, Congress, and the Departments of the government to which he has appointed THE MOST UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE HE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE CHOSEN…maybe that is the POINT we are all missing…he hates…AMERICA!
🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♂️……😳
Not the first malignant narcissist to ‘SAY’ one thing and then ‘DO’ the opposite (they enjoy ‘duping’ people).
However, many of his ‘campaign PROMISES’ were to placate all the ‘other’ HATERS, CHRISTIAN FANATICS AND DESCENDANTS of RACISTS carrying on the family ‘traditions’ since Lincoln was President.🙄
Trump has so MANY fans who think exactly like he (🤫really) thinks! Wink, wink!
Under ‘surveillance’, now, re his penchant for ‘sexual misconduct’, he cleverly appointed a slew of blonde ‘models’ when I am sure there were - for each ‘stacked’ appointee - many middle aged men with way more experience. Just call him Mr. Cellophane! 🫤
What’s sauce for the Gander, is sauce for all the geese he led astray…
…SUE THE B*****d…noone deserves millions of lawsuits more!! Get YOUR pound of flesh…he has plenty!! 🤨
YOUR REASON (which has to be stated):
“Failure to act as a sentient, responsible adult, and instead deliberately harming as many American citizens as possible through INCOMPETENCE, AVARICE, PREJUDICIAL HATRED, and HUBRIS OF A DEGREE THAT ALLOWS NO COMPROMISE OR CHARITY - CHRISTIAN OR OTHER.
CLOG THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS ROOM WITH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF ‘PERSONAL ‘EMOTIONAL TRAUMA’ LAWSUITS’
“Take away my civil rights, will you Mr. Trump?…well…not without recourse in the very institutions you choose to insult and ignore…SEE YOU IN COURT!”
Yeah…a bit of “Miracle on 42nd Street”, but…HEY…Trump cannot stop the filing of thousands of ‘personal injury’ cases…AND…HERE’S THE THING:
From what “I” am hearing, it’s no ‘false’ national mood! The sales of Anti-depressants has sky-rocketed. FEAR is rampant…DISGUST widespread…FRUSTRATION common…and HOPE fast fading for a ‘better’ America…forget GREAT! 😖
Many a Law student would take these suits on a pro bono basis. What a noble way to show respect for the Law, the Constitution, and their fellow citizens…than to STAND UP TO A BULLY ASPIRING TO BE ‘DICTATOR’, and already the cause of so much ANGST, SORROW and SHAME!
I agree, and even laud, much of what is written here. I think the intention is a good one. I think the prescription is inadequate to the times. Democrats failed to meet the challenge posed here – the challenge to include all in the prosperity so that they might find their rightful and secure place in the changing “complexion” of the world. (I say Democrats because the GOP never demonstrated any willingness to address the working person’s needs beyond “trickle down.”) As a result of that inattention, from Bill Clinton through Obama through our present moment, the hollow white middle class increasingly chose ‘burn it down’ as their only alternative. Action, reaction – lather, rinse, repeat, with vigor. To say, now, that the answer is a better diet, when the cancer has clearly metastized is to be an ostrich. We must call on our better angels, yes, but we really have to stop treating this GOP as a force to be reconciled with. It does not want reconciliation – the Biden administration taught us that. So, with that frame, what now?
History-Apartheid seemed entrenched-Mandela-truth and reconciliation. I think it is truth and reconciliation or war or a divorce and those last two just aren’t good options. I find it incredibly difficult but treating the current bad guys like human beings seems like the only path forward.
I wish I was as optimistic as are you two. I’m not sure exactly by what words and actions the white working class who understandably feel dispossessed would be satisfied, would feel that respect of which you speak. And his dismissal of a “national divorce” as impractical and unrealistic sounds similar to Obama’s criticism of liberals when he was president. Such a separation wouldn’t have to follow existing hard geographic regional lines. Creating a Eurozone-like confederation of large islands with some affinity - like mutual defense and a common - and freedom of movement for travel and work - may be the future of how such a large and culturally different society best organizes itself.
Hi Brooks-I am all in on this conversation. A divorce would rob the world of the promise that is the Declaration and Constitution of our country-it would kill the dream that people, no matter your background, can choose to come together and become one people - e pluribus unum. It would be a capitulation-the side that is exclusionary versus inclusive would win. I taught middle school social studies-my students from other countries, often refugees, were truly inspired by the offer America makes to them. We can’t take that away. I get the temptation to believe that those of us in blue states would continue to strive for the ideals embedded in the constitution and maybe that could be enough but let’s instead strive for what Khanna envisions-that is the more compelling vision. We can do this, our fellow Americans are worth our effort (I don’t want to use the use words “fighting for”) and the American promise is ours to deliver to the world.
Perhaps we should start with our country being built on the backs of slaves. We should start with the admission of committing genocide against the Native Americans. White America has much to hold itself accountable for. Let's start with that first.
These things are undoubtedly true. Is it your belief that foregrounding them in a political narrative is a winning approach to building a multiracial coalition for democracy?
I believe in holding yourself accountable. It is the core of my being. It’s a way to move forward. Yes- I do believe it’s a way to build a multiracial coalition. When you can make amends for past hurts, past sins & understand how that affected people & how they move through the world, those people can begin to heal. Otherwise these things metastasize and are not always at the surface- but always present. How we can turn this into a winning political strategy? I don’t know what that looks like. Not yet anyway.
I don’t know the rules are about providing links so I will suggest checking out the Racial Equity Institute in Greensboro, NC. After everyone takes the basic training to learn about the history of racism, a very unique feature for graduates is that white people meet as a group to continue to deepen their understanding and learn how to be effective allies. We understand that whether we mean to or not, we create the conditions for hurts to remain open for people of color. I am being careful not to say we, “cause hurt” because that implies that people of color don’t exercise autonomy in choosing their reaction. I find this work, this practice to be a way to hold myself accountable to a degree. Will stop here but maybe Anand coukd do a show on reparations and how that could bring some healing.
Hi Jacquelyn-don’t know if this will help… I taught 7th grade world History. When we started our unit on the slave trade, we sat in a circle and I asked each student-did anyone here engage in slavery? Of course the answer is no. I knew it was going to be uncomfortable for all the kids so it was important to address the topic as history. Of course we also addressed the economic advantage slavery had for white people and how that still shows up today in unearned advantages. We talked about reparations-they learned about internment of Japanese people and reparations for them so they could grapple with this. So yes and no to your question-yes, teach the history and that does come first but no, we can’t start there to solve the challenges of today because that is history. Jacquelyn, here something that helps me - I know I can be right or I know I can be connected to my fellow man but I can’t be both. Even when it is hard to the point where I want to crawl out of my skin at the prospect of even being in the same airspace with folks who hold views that are so antithetical to mine, I choose connection. I really appreciate Anand’s work because he is creating a community where we are supporting each other through the challenges of living out our ideals -it is so hard-it is exhausting, but the alternative is just not an option.
Thank you for the response. Holding yourself accountable is not the same as wanting to be right. I went to the Anne Frank exhibit with my mom a few weeks ago. There are many parallels from that period of history compared to what is happening in our country today. It's like watching a slow motion train wreck happen and we are unable to stop it. Learning history, the good and the bad should help you know what not to do today and recognize when there are bad actions that could lead to worse ones.
And my larger point is understanding how other people move through the world. Knowing their history helps with this. It makes you a better neighbor and a better citizen.
I can imagine how emotionally taxing that had to be. I taught Anne Frank jointly with the Language Arts teacher to middle school kids. Short of reparations and continuing to teach our history in schools and public places and spaces-what more can we do to hold ourselves accountable? Trying to get behind what drives people’s choices and actions might help. I am a student of Marshall Rosenberg’s nonviolent communication (I wish he had picked a better title). We learn about our shared human needs like mutuality, contribution, learning. This is a hack job but basically we all try to have our needs met through strategies like-I will cook dinner and you will do the dishes-voila-mutuality. Problem is we often choose crap strategies like storming the capitol to get your need for safety, belonging, to be in contribution, met. If you pick poor strategies, yep, there should be consequences-that is accountability right. Thank you for sharing. I think I am probably starting to be annoying in the amount of words I am putting into this thread-again, I just found this post by Anand to be so refreshing-I want the hope I am finding in the post/thoughts shared by Khanna, to get solid air time. 🙂 you can google NVC and the way they try to understand the rioters’s actions.
You are not being annoying with all your words at all! That is what this space is for. I love that about substack. So far I've had nothing but good exchanges with everyone on any of the various substacks I comment on. The biggest reason I pay for Anand is b/c he is alway calming. (I am not always calming)
My first thought after reading your most recent comment was "I gotta look up Marshall Rosenberg". Now I learn something new b/c I had this nice post with you. How cool is that? I will also look into NVC on my lunch. I've been half working, half looking at Substack- I need to put this down for a little bit.
Until next post...
:)
Anand-could you track the number of new subscribers you get from this post? I just paid because this is what I want to hear more of-I don’t want to hate my fellow Americans. Folks-we can be right or we can be connected-we can’t be both.
Sadly, Nancy, this one probably won't bring in subscribers. Fanning the flames of outrage works wonders, which is why people do it. When you try to bring people together, it somehow doesn't work as well. But we're not going to back down from what we do here.
Me and Bob B both became subscribers! I really believe you are on to something with this one. I shared that I taught middle school social studies-truly the kids resonate with the vision Khanna paints. Now as they get older, my experience is that they start to fragment but that has a lot to do with how we set up highschool to track kids which naturally shrinks the diversity of their friend groups. Don’t you think that a lot college kids look forward to having a more expansive peer experience? I do. I also see the young professionals in my city gravitating towards intercultural friend groups and experiences. No doubt though that having friends across socioeconomic lines becomes increasingly difficult. Thanks for all you do - I know it will sound corny but because you used the word sadly, I want to say, please don’t be sad-you have created an incredible community and space for good things to take root and grow. 🙂
This is the inspiration needed to keep moving forward. This is our work. Wow, excellent perspective and approach.
This is very interesting and helpful. However, where are the women in this? Where is misogyny? And anti-queer violence and bigotry (which I believe is based upon misogyny) in this?
I’m curious to understand what American hasn’t faced tumultuous changes in their “way of life”. Why does maga believe they are unique in this sense? And is that faction so steeped in their grievance that they are unreachable?
Hi Susan. I think it is because they are grieving. We humans get kicked into the grief cycle whenever our expectations for how we think things should be are dashed. So when our partner dies, our expectation of the life we were going to live together is dashed. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. If you’ve ever come alongside someone grieving a loss you know how hard it is to stick with them through these stages. A person with basically intact emotional and head space will come to realize that while things will be different they are going to be okay. It sucks but I feel called to try to love some along the process-man are too many of them being real weenies. Oh, and we too are grieving-never in a million years did I expect my fellow Americans to elect this guy once let alone twice. I am accepting that it happened but not yet giving up on the American experiment.
Lovely explanation - thank you.
I live in an area that’s immigrant rich - Chinese, Russian, Orthodox Jews, so many varieties of white & black. This means we have lots of holidays! I understand what he’s saying- it takes a bit of muscle and first most imho is kicking out white superiority. Ooo, that hurts. But once passed that hurdle, things get better.
Anand, I listened intently to your conversation with Mr. Khanna, and came away very impressed with his outlook and his thoughts on where we are. And where we need to go.
And I was equally impressed with both your line of questioning and your thoughts as you’ve laid them out here. I’ve upgraded to paid as it’s so refreshing to read about our possibilities for the future as opposed to fear mongering or just bashing one side or the other. Kudos to you my friend.
I did too Bob-I really think that the heart (notice the 3 letters between the h and t? Listening with heart) is what people are hungry for.
"Okay. She broke your heart. It's time to move on. Get over it."
The plant closed. You lost your job.
I respect very much what both you Anand and Rep. Ro Khanna are calling and/or wishing for. However, as on who has written two textbooks on integration as well as the textbook, Violence and Nonviolence: Pathways to Understanding, I appreciate the sentiments and the lost of respect, etc. that underlies not only the project, but these emotionalities involved, especially with respect to the lack of respect for the MAGA folks, yet I do not think that this kind of reconciliation or restorative justice is about to play out. I wish that I were wrong. Here's a link to the 2003 textbook: https://www.amazon.com/Violence-Nonviolence-Understanding-Gregg-Barak/dp/0761926968
This might seem like a tangent, but lately I just can't stop thinking of China Mieville's book 'The City & The City.' If you haven't, you should read it. It's certainly not a direct overlay to our times, but yet. (I'm not going to try and explain it here)
Suffice to say, it's not like I'm walking down the street unseeing people, but I can't help but feel sometimes that someone I pass in the grocery store isle may, in a sense, be living in a completely different place I don't recognize. Not only is seeing their world challenging for you, but in someways it's also taboo. Even though your worlds are actually the same one. Crossing that divide can be frightening, because you risk being alienated from everyone.
Since Donald Trump thinks the solution to any criticism of his INSANE NONSENSE is “litigation”…then allow me to suggest EVERY SINGLE ‘ENLIGHTENED’ AMERICAN “SUE” HIM!
EVERYONE who feels he is destroying the Constitution, Congress, and the Departments of the government to which he has appointed THE MOST UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE HE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE CHOSEN…maybe that is the POINT we are all missing…he hates…AMERICA!
🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♂️……😳
Not the first malignant narcissist to ‘SAY’ one thing and then ‘DO’ the opposite (they enjoy ‘duping’ people).
However, many of his ‘campaign PROMISES’ were to placate all the ‘other’ HATERS, CHRISTIAN FANATICS AND DESCENDANTS of RACISTS carrying on the family ‘traditions’ since Lincoln was President.🙄
Trump has so MANY fans who think exactly like he (🤫really) thinks! Wink, wink!
Under ‘surveillance’, now, re his penchant for ‘sexual misconduct’, he cleverly appointed a slew of blonde ‘models’ when I am sure there were - for each ‘stacked’ appointee - many middle aged men with way more experience. Just call him Mr. Cellophane! 🫤
What’s sauce for the Gander, is sauce for all the geese he led astray…
…SUE THE B*****d…noone deserves millions of lawsuits more!! Get YOUR pound of flesh…he has plenty!! 🤨
YOUR REASON (which has to be stated):
“Failure to act as a sentient, responsible adult, and instead deliberately harming as many American citizens as possible through INCOMPETENCE, AVARICE, PREJUDICIAL HATRED, and HUBRIS OF A DEGREE THAT ALLOWS NO COMPROMISE OR CHARITY - CHRISTIAN OR OTHER.
CLOG THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS ROOM WITH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF ‘PERSONAL ‘EMOTIONAL TRAUMA’ LAWSUITS’
“Take away my civil rights, will you Mr. Trump?…well…not without recourse in the very institutions you choose to insult and ignore…SEE YOU IN COURT!”
Yeah…a bit of “Miracle on 42nd Street”, but…HEY…Trump cannot stop the filing of thousands of ‘personal injury’ cases…AND…HERE’S THE THING:
From what “I” am hearing, it’s no ‘false’ national mood! The sales of Anti-depressants has sky-rocketed. FEAR is rampant…DISGUST widespread…FRUSTRATION common…and HOPE fast fading for a ‘better’ America…forget GREAT! 😖
Many a Law student would take these suits on a pro bono basis. What a noble way to show respect for the Law, the Constitution, and their fellow citizens…than to STAND UP TO A BULLY ASPIRING TO BE ‘DICTATOR’, and already the cause of so much ANGST, SORROW and SHAME!
“Without the Law there can be only chaos!”
Um…
Indulging your thinking-class action lawsuit? So well written.
I agree, and even laud, much of what is written here. I think the intention is a good one. I think the prescription is inadequate to the times. Democrats failed to meet the challenge posed here – the challenge to include all in the prosperity so that they might find their rightful and secure place in the changing “complexion” of the world. (I say Democrats because the GOP never demonstrated any willingness to address the working person’s needs beyond “trickle down.”) As a result of that inattention, from Bill Clinton through Obama through our present moment, the hollow white middle class increasingly chose ‘burn it down’ as their only alternative. Action, reaction – lather, rinse, repeat, with vigor. To say, now, that the answer is a better diet, when the cancer has clearly metastized is to be an ostrich. We must call on our better angels, yes, but we really have to stop treating this GOP as a force to be reconciled with. It does not want reconciliation – the Biden administration taught us that. So, with that frame, what now?
History-Apartheid seemed entrenched-Mandela-truth and reconciliation. I think it is truth and reconciliation or war or a divorce and those last two just aren’t good options. I find it incredibly difficult but treating the current bad guys like human beings seems like the only path forward.
This says, and shows, it all.
https://youtu.be/RP8Oxe6OxJc?si=iQ8tnjHVgzPDV5Sd
I wish I was as optimistic as are you two. I’m not sure exactly by what words and actions the white working class who understandably feel dispossessed would be satisfied, would feel that respect of which you speak. And his dismissal of a “national divorce” as impractical and unrealistic sounds similar to Obama’s criticism of liberals when he was president. Such a separation wouldn’t have to follow existing hard geographic regional lines. Creating a Eurozone-like confederation of large islands with some affinity - like mutual defense and a common - and freedom of movement for travel and work - may be the future of how such a large and culturally different society best organizes itself.
Hi Brooks-I am all in on this conversation. A divorce would rob the world of the promise that is the Declaration and Constitution of our country-it would kill the dream that people, no matter your background, can choose to come together and become one people - e pluribus unum. It would be a capitulation-the side that is exclusionary versus inclusive would win. I taught middle school social studies-my students from other countries, often refugees, were truly inspired by the offer America makes to them. We can’t take that away. I get the temptation to believe that those of us in blue states would continue to strive for the ideals embedded in the constitution and maybe that could be enough but let’s instead strive for what Khanna envisions-that is the more compelling vision. We can do this, our fellow Americans are worth our effort (I don’t want to use the use words “fighting for”) and the American promise is ours to deliver to the world.