The most interesting and useful parts of Ezra Klein’s new book, Why We’re Polarized—and those who are familiar with Klein mainly from his journalism may be surprised to learn that there are interesting and useful parts—are the most despair-inducing ones. And this is a despair-inducing book. If Klein is correct in his fundamental argument, then there is very little reason to believe that the stupidity and ugliness of our current Kulturkampf politics are likely to abate, because they are less a defect of our politics and more a defect of ourselves, or an aspect of ourselves, if you prefer less judgmental language.
(I prefer more judgmental language.)
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