Is there anything holding Americans together?

We are currently seeing very high levels of bitter political feelings among Americans. As one progressive in the very progressive Washington DC area said recently:

“There is a real divide in this country and the more time that passes the more that divide is deepened. For years, we have been pushing each other and ourselves into our own corners. Urban areas don't understand the needs of rural areas and rural areas don't understand the needs of urban areas.

“I don't see people wanting to come together with curiosity to try to listen to each other's perspectives. I can say personally right now that I don't want anything to do with a single person that continues to support this administration -- they are not decent human beings. My gut tells me it's going to get a lot worse and that everyone will have to feel equal pain for it to even begin to improve (I am not wishing pain on anyone but I don't know what- if anything- will change people's minds about him).”

So this raises the question: Is there anything holding Americans together? We hear rhetoric and see actions that make it seem impossible for different political groups to find any common ground. Is it THAT bad? What if we can’t find enough in common to keep the country together?

David French is pretty clear on where he sees things: “It’s time for Americans to wake up to a fundamental reality: the continued unity of the United States of America cannot be guaranteed. At this moment in history, there is not a single important cultural, religious, political, or social force that is pulling Americans together more than it is pushing us apart.” “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.”

On Thursday, April 24 at 7:00 PM EDT we’ll consider this in detail, starting with some thoughts from Jonathan Haidt: “[L]arge-scale human societies are nearly miraculous achievements.” “The process of converting pluribus (diverse people) into unum (a nation) is a miracle that occurs in every successful nation on Earth. Nations decline or divide when they stop performing this miracle.”

We’ll continue with a discussion of Amy Chua’s concept of the United States as a “super-group” at risk, and we’ll compare America with other countries, including those that define themselves through strong ethnic and/or religious ties. We’ll look at some countries that have not done well in managing their diverse populations and consider what can go wrong when common bonds are stretched beyond the breaking point.

Please join us April 24 as we consider whether our country can stick together, and what the consequences might be if we don’t.

Meanwhile, you might want to consider this video presentation by Amy Chua, author of “Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations,” which we will discuss in the Meetup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYADf21tkk0

In the first 20 minutes she sets the stage by discussing tribalism in foreign countries, before applying those lessons to America. She then goes to questions and answers at 33 minutes.

You may also find this article helpful as you prepare for our discussion:

https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-01-13/social-cohesion-is-vital-and-were-losing-it/

Best,
Bill