The sense that we are living through a pivotal historical moment is overwhelming. As the country sat on tenterhooks while the Supreme Court heard arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization last week, Matt Continetti was marveling at the apocalyptic tone with which most coverage treated the case that could finally overturn Roe v. Wade. He dismissed the gravest concerns, but nevertheless went on to say:
Whatever happens, I find I cannot escape the sense that America has reached an impasse, that it has arrived at a moment of transition, and not just on the matter of abortion. Whether one looks at politics, economics, or the world, one sees a realignment of forces, a shuffling of players off and on the stage, to prepare for the next act in the drama. The Trump presidency seems less like the harbinger of a new beginning than a spectacular climax to a historical epoch.
It’s not just that things are changing fast, it’s that we are at a generational inflection point. Matt notes that 19 House Democrats have already announced their retirement, and that Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer are unlikely to serve past 2024 (should they survive their midterm trials). Biden himself, elected as a last-ditch attempt to keep the world of yesterday going for another four years, looks troublingly tired. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel like the next generation has a better grip on the world that is coming into view either. The most talented rising politicians are as deft as Donald Trump at wielding social media for demagogic ends, but don’t appear particularly well suited to handle the moment’s challenges. There is a maddening frivolity to our public life at every turn.
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