Republican Senator Ben Sasse's latest book is enjoyable and insightful, but its theory of political polarization needs revision.
According to the Nebraska senator, social, political, economic, and technological forces have left Americans isolated—alienated from themselves, their neighbors and communities, and especially from those with whom they disagree politically. As humans, though, we desperately need to bond. In place of our traditional communities, we have formed what Sasse calls “anti-tribes.” These groups are defined not by whom they support, but by whom they oppose. Society is fractured, and angry politics is how America reacts. “We're angry, and politics is filling a vacuum it was never intended to fill,” Sasse writes. “Suddenly, all of America feels marginalized and ignored. We're all standing there in the dark, feeling powerless and isolated, pleading: ‘Don't you see me?'”
Read Full Article »