"Fine, ideally, there would be other things—and in a sense there are. For instance, Americans are held together by the fact that they’re all American, but then we’re back to the same problem. Why should this be enough? If anything, it’s our shared American-ness that heightens the intensity of our disagreements: We all still believe in the idea of America—and we’re passionate about this “idea”—but we have utterly divergent notions of that that idea actually entails."
This is the key paragraph as far as I am concerned. I recently returned from my first trip to Europe, or ever leaving the US, for that matter--too busy working. I didn't feel terrible pressure though because I live in New York City and the world so regularly comes to me. However, it was enlightening. I went to Spain (Barcelona & Mallorca), France (Marseilles) and Italy (Genoa, Florence and Naples). It was all good, except for parts of Naples. I can speak Spanish pretty well, so I got the most out of my trip to Spain, which is also where I spent the most time.
I observed many things, but one thing that stood out was how it was like the US, yet also different. I'm speaking of immigration and immigrants doing jobs similar to what I might see them doing here in the US. Nevertheless, it seems they are outsiders in those societies. Doubtless, it will change with time, or there will be some terrible turbulence. This seemed much less likely in Spain than elsewhere. If we contrast this to the US, there is certainly a disadvantage to being a newcomer, but no inherent blockage to accessing US society and its advantages. This makes us Americans in ways that other countries don't have. What is an American? Anyone who sticks it out and gets their citizenship papers. Anyone who can make it in the not so easy environment that is the US of A. Folks expect a reward for the struggle and that is what is wanting today, for both native and foreign born Americans. Today that concern unites Americans across the spectrum.
Now there is an element of racism in America, that disrupts the sense of unity described above, but this is a remnant of a Confederate mindset, which is also Old World, tribal thinking. America's long struggle has always been between Old World and New World thinking: Puritans and Cavaliers. However, even the so-called cavaliers, knew that the corruption of the royal court would endanger their wealth.
Frederick Jackson Turner was right about the importance of the frontier in American society, but those frontiers can take many forms, including small business, entrepreneurship.
I'd love this to be a subject of a podcast in the future- the role of belief in politics and to what degree all political ideologies are predicated on some kind of 'leap' of either human nature or how politics functions as a model for progress. For instance, your belief in democratic minimalism shadi is sharply contrasted with a whiggish belief in historical progress leading to a more enlightened era.
Democratic minimalism is great for some countries, but the US is governed by the Constitution, which obviously constrains the possibilities of what people can vote on. And amending it is democratic but has a much higher than 51% threshold. Obviously if the USA remains a continuous regime/state, it would mean that the Constitution is abided by (which is currently under drastic attack). How can democratic minimalism work in the USA if it expects agnosticism in regards to questions that are considered human rights as an article of faith and legal foundation of the US state. We cant be agnostic about people voting to unconstitutionally ban guns with 51% , that would require 67/67/75%. Does this limitation of democracy comport with your vision of democratic minimalism
"Fine, ideally, there would be other things—and in a sense there are. For instance, Americans are held together by the fact that they’re all American, but then we’re back to the same problem. Why should this be enough? If anything, it’s our shared American-ness that heightens the intensity of our disagreements: We all still believe in the idea of America—and we’re passionate about this “idea”—but we have utterly divergent notions of that that idea actually entails."
This is the key paragraph as far as I am concerned. I recently returned from my first trip to Europe, or ever leaving the US, for that matter--too busy working. I didn't feel terrible pressure though because I live in New York City and the world so regularly comes to me. However, it was enlightening. I went to Spain (Barcelona & Mallorca), France (Marseilles) and Italy (Genoa, Florence and Naples). It was all good, except for parts of Naples. I can speak Spanish pretty well, so I got the most out of my trip to Spain, which is also where I spent the most time.
I observed many things, but one thing that stood out was how it was like the US, yet also different. I'm speaking of immigration and immigrants doing jobs similar to what I might see them doing here in the US. Nevertheless, it seems they are outsiders in those societies. Doubtless, it will change with time, or there will be some terrible turbulence. This seemed much less likely in Spain than elsewhere. If we contrast this to the US, there is certainly a disadvantage to being a newcomer, but no inherent blockage to accessing US society and its advantages. This makes us Americans in ways that other countries don't have. What is an American? Anyone who sticks it out and gets their citizenship papers. Anyone who can make it in the not so easy environment that is the US of A. Folks expect a reward for the struggle and that is what is wanting today, for both native and foreign born Americans. Today that concern unites Americans across the spectrum.
Now there is an element of racism in America, that disrupts the sense of unity described above, but this is a remnant of a Confederate mindset, which is also Old World, tribal thinking. America's long struggle has always been between Old World and New World thinking: Puritans and Cavaliers. However, even the so-called cavaliers, knew that the corruption of the royal court would endanger their wealth.
Frederick Jackson Turner was right about the importance of the frontier in American society, but those frontiers can take many forms, including small business, entrepreneurship.
My sense is "the people" quite easily see right through the fictions.
I'd love this to be a subject of a podcast in the future- the role of belief in politics and to what degree all political ideologies are predicated on some kind of 'leap' of either human nature or how politics functions as a model for progress. For instance, your belief in democratic minimalism shadi is sharply contrasted with a whiggish belief in historical progress leading to a more enlightened era.
Democratic minimalism is great for some countries, but the US is governed by the Constitution, which obviously constrains the possibilities of what people can vote on. And amending it is democratic but has a much higher than 51% threshold. Obviously if the USA remains a continuous regime/state, it would mean that the Constitution is abided by (which is currently under drastic attack). How can democratic minimalism work in the USA if it expects agnosticism in regards to questions that are considered human rights as an article of faith and legal foundation of the US state. We cant be agnostic about people voting to unconstitutionally ban guns with 51% , that would require 67/67/75%. Does this limitation of democracy comport with your vision of democratic minimalism