America is 'coming apart at the seams' as the 'nationalist' far right goes full 'authoritarian': conservative

04 July 2023

It was 247 years ago, on July 4, 1776, that the Declaration of Independence was adopted at the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, officially making the United States a democratic republic separate from Great Britain. Since then, the U.S. has survived everything from the Civil War to the 9/11 terrorist attacks to Watergate to the Great Depression of the 1930s.

But in a sobering opinion column published on the Fourth of July 2023, Never Trump conservative Matt Lewis fears that the United States' bitter political divisions are threatening its future.

"While Americans grill burgers and hot dogs, enjoy a dip in the pool, and await the annual July Fourth fireworks display, I remain happily surprised that this day of communal patriotism is still widely accepted and generally celebrated," Lewis argues. "To be blunt, it feels like the country is coming apart at the seams and lacking some shared purpose. And I'm not alone in feeling this way."

The columnist continues, "About two-thirds of Americans say the country is 'more divided than usual.' To make matters worse, young people are already behaving that way. A Generation Lab poll conducted for NBC News last year confirmed that young Americans are segregating themselves along partisan lines."

Lewis goes on to lament that "political and cultural influencers on the left and right" have "given up on the American experiment."

The columnist writes, "Many on the left see America as a racist country whose present status is the fruit from the poisonous tree…. Many on the right now advocate a different sort of anti-Americanism — ironically cloaked in flag-waving nationalism — that says America is too weak, secular, and decadent to be a great nation. Some even seem to hold authoritarian or illiberal regimes — like those in Russia and Hungary — in high regard. Others believe it's high time for a national divorce."

Lewis stresses that it is essential to "instill the values of liberal democracy in our American youths" in order to save the U.S. from authoritarianism.

"We didn't get into this mess overnight, and we won't get out of it overnight either," the Never Trumper explains. "This will be a generational struggle that requires an all-hands-on-deck mentality. Otherwise, there may not be much to celebrate next Independence Day."

Read Matt Lewis' full Daily Beast column at this link (subscription required).

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