As we approach the Fourth of July, Americans remain deeply divided. But those divisions are not political. They are religious.
On one side, there is a political party operating as a millenarian religious movement –clinging to long-discredited beliefs, obsessed with sex, afraid of science, determined to impose its bizarre views on others, and insisting that the government must control every hidden corner of private life.
On the other side are the Republicans.
Broadly, the Republican Party is concerned about governance. That is why, for example, repealing and replacing Obamacare is taking so long. The Republican leadership in Washington seems genuinely concerned about passing something that works.
Most are also afraid of criticism from the media and a backlash from voters. But those fears relate to the challenge of governance, because they acknowledge the accountability mechanisms of our system.
Democrats had few such qualms when they passed Obamacare in 2010, which was a leap of faith. The Democratic Party is often called the “party of government.” But aside from representing public sector unions, Democrats do not care about governing — at least, not anymore. To them, power is the means to achieve a kind of secular salvation: a placid world where all are equal, all needs are met, and all are validated — something like John Lennon’s “Imagine.” READ MORE
