Four Nations

 So last night I started, and early this am finished, an amazing essay on the American condition: How America Fractured Into Four Parts, by George Packer. I had read some of Packer's work before, but this essay nailed it -- we're more than divided in two -- we're cut into 4 portions.

Most of my friends and I identify with what he calls "Smart America" - professional types who believe in meritocracy, and follow science. However, we're guilty of ignoring what Packer calls "Real Americans" - the group of mostly un or undereducated whites who feel their power is ebbing, and vote seemingly against their own interest rather than cede power.

I also know many Packer calls "Just America," mostly ultra left folks who support Black Lives Matter and hate Israel. They claim "We're not anti-semitic, just anti-Zionist." Hilarious. That's like saying "I love Irish folks, but wish Dublin would be depopulated by a neutron bomb.

Members of "Just America" annoy me most -- especially when they're self hating Jews. Lots of Liberal Jews attended Black Lives Matter rallies -- even though leaders like Linda Sarsor are happily anti -Semitic, and yet, recently, at a rally against anti-Semitism on Miami Beach, there were maybe 3 Black folks. One of the speakers even admitted that many of his fellow clergy were afraid to show their faces at the event. And Israel is the problem.

Packer's a true political science genius. He says hope is not lost -- we've been fractured before, and somehow remained a nation.

But another pundit, I think it was Tom Friedman, remarked that a country with millions who oppose wearing masks to keep others from getting sick would have had zero chance winning, say, World War II.

I hope things improve. I know my politics have changed.

When I was young and naive, I was shamelessly liberal. I believed that those who committed crimes did so because of awful childhoods. I also announced I would never drive anything other than a Dodge Omni.

Probably now I'm essentially a liberal Republican. Too bad there's no such party anymore. To be a Republican, you have to embrace complete stupidity, and racism, and anti-science.

Then again, to be a Democrat, you probably have to countenance people like "The Squad," one of whom, I forget which since they all sound alike, just said the US, Israel, Taliban, and Al-queda were all essentially guilty of the same sorts of crimes against the oppressed. Oh boy.

I'm still registered in the party of my grandparents and parents. I'm probably one more anti-Israel message away from becoming a no party guy.

I guess Hemingway was right. The best we can hope to do in this dirty, absurd world is surround ourselves in an oasis of peace and sanity -- a "clean, well lighted place."

Just this am, my blood pressure rose during a discussion about Israel with a fellow Jew -- infantile, moral equivalency garbage, that somehow Israel ought to negotiate with leaders sworn to their annihilation. Lord, as D1 says.

America's birthday is less than a month away. Mine follows 2 weeks later. I hope we both last.