The years since the end of the Cold War have been an extraordinary—and extraordinarily aberrant—time. We live in an era when a single state—the USA—possesses vastly more power and wealth than any before has ever enjoyed. Neither the Roman Empire, nor the Golden Horde, nor any of history’s other runners-up came close to the global reach America now commands.
Yet during this moment of geopolitical “unipolarity” and unparalleled prosperity, things quietly started going wrong for a great many Americans—badly wrong for more than a few. The unease so many in our country feel today reflects that contradiction.
Curiously, the most indispensable of the many victors in the Cold War—the American people—are now suffering from a “failure to thrive.” Their social wellbeing has been faltering for some time. Ironically, many of these new problems date back to around the time when the Berlin Wall fell.
Read Full Article »