Anomie – Why Not Take Anomie

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold – W. B. Yeats

Sometimes I get the feeling things are coming unglued amidst a fracturing of the global social order.  Populism seems to be emerging in countries around the world, leading to dysfunctional political dynamics and isolationism between and within nations.  The surprising Brexit referendum, floods of refugees from Syria and Venezuela, far-left and far-right parties joining to challenge incumbents, Europe seeming to draw away from the U.S. while moving closer to Russia, and our own divisive politics broadly displayed in Washington D.C. all serve as examples of a world currently undergoing massive convulsions.

The basic concept of a United States of America rests heavily on that single word “United.”  Other than funny accents in one region or another, I never really challenged that underlying assumption – until now.  Try this:  channel surf between CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News; you may come away feeling that the viewpoints could have come from different countries.  The opinions being sold by these most immediate versions of reality shows often spin events in opposite directions, or choose entirely different subjects to cover with urgent sincerity and passionate intensity.

Why is this?  Regions in our country seem to have been pulling away from each other for some time now, at least since the Supreme Court had to be called upon to elect our president in 2000.  Maybe we aren’t as united as I believed.  But is this really a new phenomenon or has it existed beneath our social fabric ever since the revolution?  Opinions, attitudes, core beliefs, even ethics may be more regional than fungible across our nation.  Today’s turmoil may reflect a groundswell as leadership shifts from a viewpoint held by yesterday’s dominant cohort to another (or combination of several in an uneasy alliance).  If you want to pursue this idea, especially if you enjoy things in a historical perspective, give American Nations, a book by Colin Woodard, a read.  It gave me some context that helped describe what I see happening around America today.   (by J R)