And Yet It Moves
Each of the two countries that the election of 2020 exposed is split by two narratives—Smart and Just on one side, Free and Real on the other. The tensions within each country will persist even as the cold civil war between them rages on. But the election, forcing a binary choice, temporarily consolidated the narratives on either side of the divide
... See moreGeorge Packer • Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal
The year 2020 began with an impeachment trial, the third in American history. The president had used his official powers to extort a political favor from a foreign leader in order to help his own reelection. His guilt was clear—only the tribal loyalty of his party kept him in office. But before long hardly anyone remembered the impeachment. The yea
... See moreGeorge Packer • Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal
What was Trump? A fascist? A white nationalist? A malignant narcissist? A conservative with very bad manners? Once he became president, his only legislative achievement—a huge tax cut that heavily favored the rich and corporations—fit right in with Republican orthodoxy. His court appointments were friendly to business interests and also to religiou
... See moreGeorge Packer • Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal
