This insufferable American moment
After the past few weeks, can anyone act surprised that so many Americans feel our country is broken?
Author’s Note: Hey everyone, this was published a few days before President Biden withdrew from the race. I still think everything below is relevant, some points even more so now, which is why I’ve decided to leave it unedited. I hope you find it helpful. — Mark
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written anything that’s straight up political. Now seems as good a time as any, considering recent events.
The first presidential debate was roughly three weeks ago. It’s clear the real loser wasn’t so much one of the candidates as it was virtually everyone living in America. On one side was a shameless liar and philandering sexual predator who pushes for political violence. On the other was an incoherent incumbent unable to make the very easy case that democracy is still the best path we have. It all went down in a format that prevents a robust exchange of ideas; indeed, even the most well-spoken people in the world would be unable to have a true debate with only two minutes to answer questions and one minute to respond or rebut.
It was a stark symbol of our times: a frail liberalism struggling to forge a path forward and a vengeful, authoritarian…
