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These strains have even been felt by those living outside the U.S.
My wife and I have lived in New York City for just over a year. We’re actually returning to Canada this weekend, but that has nothing to do with the presidential election and its possible outcomes. It’s a total coincidence. It’s the draw of family and friends rather than political considerations that’s bringing us home.
That our time here has coincided with the global pandemic and a tumultuous election has given us a window into both the best and worst of American society. It’s complicated to be sure. Lincoln’s famous admonition about an “imperfect union” remains deeply true today.
We’ve seen how the country’s dynamism and inequities are two sides of the same coin. How its national politics can seem so dysfunctional when its localized civil society remains robust in most places. And how a small share of the population — including those whom New York Times columnist David Brooks has called adherents to the secular religions of “Trumpism” and “Wokeism” — has come to disproportionately shape how we think about American culture and politics.
This isn’t an apology for the obvious flaws of American society. There’s too much inequality, racial injustice, and social and political discord. These trends are self-evidently bad. They’ve contributed to a decline of trust, solidarity and national purpose.
One example from our own experience: the racialized politics of gentrification in parts of New York City is a far more serious issue than in major Canadians cities. It has the potential to become a flashpoint in the coming years as more white, professional-class households congregate to “superstar cities” like Brooklyn and Boston and in turn displace traditional, minority communities.
