America's Defining Problems

Since 1930 there have been many problems with which America has struggled. But there have been only a few defining problems—issues that were the top problem of the time . The first such task it was resolving the great depression. After that World War II imposed itself as the unavoidable top problem. Then the threat of annihilating all life on earth by thermonuclear war –the need to keep the cold war cold—forced all other issues into second place. But the civil right movement took the issue of the treatment of blacks, a major theme from the earliest days of the nation, into the forefront of issues that defined the American character. Despite unmistakable progress through the sixties and seventies the racial issue persisted because of social, economic and judicial mistreatment of blacks. It endures as a major American problem but I have come to believe that it has been knocked out of the number one slot by a new issue.

Conflict between factions of American life—between liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans—has become so intense that it has nearly paralyzed the country politically, rational debate has faded to an inaudible hum in the background. Now each side hurls angry talking points at the other side. We no longer look for rational ideas and people of good judgment and character, but we see only which side someone is on, then we support or hate them because of that.

Certainly political argument was vehement in the past. Citizens voicing their political opinions have always been passionate. And there have always been crazy participants—those who were not rational and appealed only to prejudice and ignorance. But that disorder is now the norm. Rational individuals are viewed as disloyal in the Republican Party while in the Democratic party there are a minority of angry fighters and a majority of calm rational folks who are struck dumb, stymied, not knowing how to act or how to deal with the vehement anger all around them. They suppose they ought to fight so they don’t get eaten alive. But a furious battle is not what they had hoped life would be allabout.

I thought the anger and irrationality had peaked in the 1990’s but it grew worse in the first decade of the 21st century and worse yet in the second decade. Where will it stop?

That is the defining problem of America today.