We Americans like to think of ourselves as a pragmatic nation. Problem-solving and compromise have a long history in American politics. So, too, however, do extremism and polarization. As the Boston Tea Party itself illustrates, this country was born in a fit of uncompromising zeal.
[Today's] situation reminds me of the second half of the 1850s, when the combined impact of the Fugitive Slave Law and the Kansas-Nebraska Act led to the breakdown of the old Whig-Jacksonian party system. I don’t think we are headed toward another civil war, of course. But I do expect more partisan vitriol and deadlock before this cycle of polarization ultimately runs its course. Given this country’s problems (economic stagnation, debt, terrorism), that scenario looks dangerous enough.
Source:
Washington Post
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Click on the "poll" link in the post and you will see my comment. Without even looking up his...
Harry Reid: "I had nothing to do with" bad economy
Greg on September 8th, 2010