Will America unite?

[Tangled Metal]

Will America stand together again or are we in some end game? What will unite the various sections of American society? Can Biden do it? Do we need a big international sporting event to seed the reunion of its disparate factions?

What do you think needs to happen to stop and reverse this division in America?

[reohn2]

In answer to the thread title.
No.

[directdrive]

Lol, it's too far gone and too structurally-embedded for a sporting event to do the trick. No single president is up to the task, let alone Biden or any of the establishment Dems who are out of ideas beyond trying to re-run the Clinton presidency.

We're seeing the fallout from the 2008 crash still playing out. Wealth inequality is skyrocketing. There is a huge gulf in quality of life and in income between rural and urban areas. Racial inequality is baked into the system. Climate change will tear large swathes of the country to shreds. All of this requires massive structural interventions into the economy that neither party is willing to countenance. The GOP, however, is showing its willingness to flirt with fascism, channelling the massive amount of rage and resentment into authoritarian and discriminatory backlash against minorities and intellectuals. The Democrats have no answer to this - the best they can do is cling onto the dying liberal orthodoxy that worked for the briefest period after the Cold War.

I don't think the US is headed for 'civil war', but I think we'll see an uptick in the militia and right-wing insurgency movements that were about in the 90s. Biden will apply a very weak brake on America's decline but will come nowhere near to stopping it.

Most of this also applies to us, by the way. Hold on to your hats.

[Psamathe]

The trouble is "unite" is a very broad term and I regard it as more complex. I think it will become less divided over the next 4 years but there will be ups and downs as different policies get implemented and different events occur. I suspect in 4 years time things will not be as bad as they are now but there will always be those towards the extremes who will never come to terms with whoever might have been elected - it comes down to how many and how extreme.

Ian

[Ride-sleep-repeat]

Was it ever really united in the first place?

[Ride-sleep-repeat]

Was it ever really united in the first place?

The start of things to come?

Armed militia groups have begun congregating at state capitols all over the country. In DC, as many as 25,000 members of the National Guard will be in town to watch over federal lawmakers, Biden administration officials, and other political dignitaries attending the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday.

[kwackers]

I'm banking on a civil war to liven up what is looking like a fairly dull 2021.
The problem as I see it is the last one didn't actually fix anything.

Unless populism dies then I don't think unification is on the cards for most places - us included.

[Audax67]

Well, maybe Ireland.

[Jdsk]

Total optimism, except that I don't know how quickly things will improve.


https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/PP_06.30.20_public.mood_.trump-00-4.png

Amazing what youth and education can achieve.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

Jonathan

[Vorpal]

While Biden will reverse many of Trump's worst policies, he still faces a mostly divided congress, and has to get past corporate lobbyists, assuming he wants to. The Democrats in the US are still very conservative by European standards, and I doubt that many things will change substantially for the average American. Things should improve a little for the poorest Americans, but it's not a system that encourages reform, any more than the British one does. Obama struggled to get some quite basic things accomplished, and Biden will be no different.

Meanwhile there will a number of Americans who still believe Trump won, or should have.

[al_yrpal]

America only unites when its being threatened. No hope.... Been divided for as long as I can remember just like the UK.

Al

[Psamathe]

While Biden will reverse many of Trump's worst policies, he still faces a mostly divided congress, and has to get past corporate lobbyists, assuming he wants to. The Democrats in the US are still very conservative by European standards, and I doubt that many things will change substantially for the average American. Things should improve a little for the poorest Americans, but it's not a system that encourages reform, any more than the British one does. Obama struggled to get some quite basic things accomplished, and Biden will be no different.

Meanwhile there will a number of Americans who still believe Trump won, or should have.

Do you think he'll try and re-introduce some form of Obama's healthcare changes? From memory people expected Biden to get support from Sanders Democrats by committing to healthcare changes but I'm not aware of what if any commitments were made.

Ian

[Jdsk]

Do you think he'll try and re-introduce some form of Obama's healthcare changes? From memory people expected Biden to get support from Sanders Democrats by committing to healthcare changes but I'm not aware of what if any commitments were made.

Incremental building on ACA. Not "Medicare for All".

Jonathan

[pwa]

In answer to the thread title.
No.

+1

[Oldjohnw]

I think that those things done by presidential decree can be undone the same way. For example, coming out of the Paris agreement or leaving WHO.

Biden has indicated that he will do just that.