Since August 8 when the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago to find and retrieve government documents— and particularly since President Biden’s “Soul of the Nation” speech on September 1 when he called out the dangerous extremism of MAGA Republicans—I have been surprised by the amount of angry assault on social media by the bots, trolls and MAGA crowd. This is my own experience (although I know many other pro-democracy advocates have witnessed the same), but I think all the ad hominem attacks and lashing out represent how threatened they’re feeling as their hero—and their cultist love of their hero—is being investigated and questioned. It surely raises questions about what lies ahead, especially if the myriad investigations become indictments and prosecutions.
I hear from many who doubt that the aggressively angry divisiveness defining our body politic can be repaired, at least not for many years. Clearly, changing this reality will be hard and painful, but I refuse to accept that this toxic divide can’t be bridged; that would portend some very dark decades in America’s future.
But I reach out to each of you with the desire to learn what you think. Can the dangerous divide be repaired? And more, what ideas do you have on how to make things better? Perhaps this can only begin to happen if we soon see not simply indictments and prosecutions, but convictions—that is, real accountability. Perhaps it can only happen with the elimination of political parties and stemming the massive flood of dark and dirty money into the political system. Maybe it will take a generation as the restoration of civics education begins to take hold. Perhaps it means bringing to an end the polluting power of Fox News and its propagandizing imitators. Then again, maybe you think it can’t be fixed.
I ask these questions now, before the critical midterm elections, when the range of options feel more open and achievable and the levels of anger still seem surmountable. As always, I look forward to your thoughts and comments and ask that you treat each other with respect.
I think it can. First we need to call out the name calling. I am Antifa and so is everyone else who believes in the American experiment. Antifa has been so denigrated by the right that people are reluctant to admit that they are against fascism. I am also Black Lives Matter because we need to repair our American culture from the cruel and destructive treatment of people of color. We need to admit it, face it and do everything that we can to equalise all members of our society. Second, we need to recognise that our founding fathers were men, not prophets. They could not have foreseen the future development of weaponry, communications, and global, political and economic interactions of today. The abuse of the second amendment as a cudgel to generate huge profits for the gun industry must end. The abuse of freedom of the press by large corporations for profit and political power must end. The treatment of the constitution by the constructionist jurists must be called out for what it is; a shield to impose backward and outdated ideas on our modern society.
Third, we need to revamp our democratic processes to enable all citizens to vote with equal weight. The current electoral college system is a monster from a bygone era that has become a tool for manipulation of political power along with gerrymandering and monetary influence peddling in our legislative bodies. Fourth, and finally, we need to revise the job description and impose standards for the offices of the president, congressmen, and judges to reflect the needs of the country and its people. Equal treatment under the law needs to include the president, legislators and judges. They need to be held accountable for their actions as would any other citizen and removed from their positions as would any other employee of the people. Our dangerous divide is a product of our antiquated laws and our overly zealous reliance on the knowledge and foresight of our human forefathers as they drafted what was a wonderful constitution for a nation in 1887. But this is 2022.
Blame Ronald Reagan, at least partially. Under Reagan, the Federal Communications Commission repealed its so-called “fairness doctrine,” which applied only to over-the-air broadcasters.
Blame Bill Clinton, who failed to veto the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which took the ceiling off how many radio and television stations one entity can own.
Blame the Rupert family, their lackey, the smart-ass Roger Ailes, and others who crafted Fox into a propaganda machine without equal.
Of course, blame Zuckerberg for his languid approach to moderating the lies and hate on his Facebook.
Blame every American who fails to think critically about news and information, who automatically trusts what they hear on radio, television, Facebook, Twitter and the rest.
To answer your question, Mr. Beschloss, and writing as a former broadcast manager and station owner, I’d suggest:
• Reinstating the Fairness Doctrine and applying it to internet-based media as well as radio and television
• Imposing ownership caps on radio and television stations, forcing companies such as iHeart and Nexstar to divest
• Require radio and television stations to make at least a tenth of their daily programming locally produced
• Repealing Section 230 to make any owner of an internet platform -- or any internet service provider -- liable for libel and slander equal to the liability of any other entity.
And the chances of any of those ideas happening? Zero.
I read about an experiment that was done, perhaps four or five months ago, in which hardline pro-trumpers were put in an environment where they did not have access to Fox News and the like. I honestly don’t remember the details, and could not even say how scientific it was, but the apparent result was that after a month, many or most had changed their minds as to what the truth was.
I think it is totally shameful that Fox News should be allowed to call itself news.
Thank you for trying but sadly the dangerous divide will get worse when Trump is indicted and tried. We just have to learn to live with it and to arrest those who threaten violence. Until the moderate Rs decide on a divorce from MAGA, it will continue as a political force. However, 4 to 8 more years of youth voting will dramatically improve the national discourse. We love reading and hearing you and will upgrade. Ira Lechner San Diego
I believe it will take the civics education for adults who may have forgotten or never learned.
As a state turned red, the first order of business was to cut PUBLIC education or redirect the federal funds to private or religious madrassas. A separate and unequal school system with no national standards. The public school's courses of study are being overruled by local religious cults.
It will take a "truth in news" law to eliminate the biggest threat to any democracy, propaganda. "We have built this Reich on propaganda" ~ Josef Goebbels.
I'm 63 and it's been this way my whole life. There was never a time when the divide was or could be bridged. There is nothing to restore, even in the halcyon days of WW2 and the 50s women and minorities and the poor were treated horribly. I'd like to be hopeful but then I remember I can't bridge over to scumbag racist sexist bigots. Maybe the next generation but if they manage it, it would be the first time in human history.
Number one on the list should be no more money funneled into any campaign for public office. NO money. A candidate will always be given ample opportunity to express their goals via the news media, and a vast amount of other communications mediums including speaking with Substack contributors such as yourself. And, there's always the old go out and knock on door retail campaign. This will alleviate a huge amount of divisiveness created by the moneyed class seeking to bamboozle folks into believing that they're smarter...
Oct 15, 2022·edited Oct 15, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss
A nationwide broadcast, in plain language and imagery, about how fascists rose to power in Italy and Germany may help to awaken moderates to the very real threat here in the U.S. Prosecution will not deter the movement, just as it did not deter Mussolini or Hitler after they served time in prison. The violence we witnessed on January 6, 2021, was a copycat exercise of exactly what the Black Shirts and the Brown Shirts did in Europe in the early 20th century. There is no coming together as long as so many of our citizens actually believe that fascism is an acceptable form of government. We must not compromise. We must not appease. We will not be able to claim we did not know. We must stand strong and unrelenting. "Coming together" and compromise is actually tolerance. That is dangerous.
Though we hardly need more litigation, it took the Dominion lawsuits against Fox News and their ilk to get them to finally tell the truth (although just for a short time). We need more people suing them for defamation and standing up to their lies. Almost always they lie without impunity and face no consequences at all. There must be consequences for telling all these lies, whether it's Fox News, Alex Jones, Republicans, and especially Trump.
I feel as negative and depressed about this situation as you sound. I fear that so much damage has been done that even if indictments and convictions happen the problem will still exist because of all of the cult followers. They're not going to go quietly. In fact I fear that they could become even more vocal and violent, because that is what they were taught by their cult leader. Bringing justice is a start. If the GOP enablers would regain their moral compass and stand up for what is correct, that would help the situation; but I think they are too afraid of losing the cult base (even if their cult leader goes down, and him going down is still questionable). And if things get better at all, I agree with you that it will probably take a generation. Time for the current mentality to fade away and a new mentality to arise. I guess I didn't offer any optimism or any suggestions. That's because I don't have any. Sadly I spend lots of time thinking about this without coming up with any answers or any positive actions we can take to make our world a better place. I pray that someone else in this great, supportive group has some ideas. Again, thank you for this forum.
I do think the good future lies within the youth. As a teenaged youth in the sixties, we thought we were enlightened but, the youth of today are far light years away. We must take care of them and provide for them. We must encourage and reward their goodness.
I read all the comments, and appreciate the sincerity and wisdom of individuals on this America, America platform. I am a Canadian, with family members living in the USA, and have travelled extensively across the Nation. It is clear that the root of corruption in society is money and power. An excessive attachment to material wealth proliferates in the media and politics, and essentially overrides integrity. Elected officials at all levels of government are too often NOT representative of the people in their communities, especially where poverty appears to have no 'bottom'. With TV coverage, the political arena has devolved into a vaudeville show, with many self-serving bad actors. No one is better at manipulating people and dividing the country than Donald Trump, an individual devoid of redeeming qualities. Over time the Country didn't just lose its soul. It became bereft of heart, i.e. caring and kindness. Freedom cannot be interpreted as doing whatever one wants, regardless of how it may affect others. The societal malaise is a universal phenomenon, and not restricted to the United States alone. Which brings me back to my premise about money and power. Television ads prove that Big Pharma runs the table, and funds the Media, Press and politics. Power players dominate corporations. Overall, the standards for humanity need to be higher, and by that I mean encompass the attributes of kindness, compassion and respect; and having a genuine interest in the well-being of others. More than 160 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln called on 'the better Angels of our Nature' in his first inaugural address in 1861. We lost track of integrity along the way, and must strive to connect on an altruistic level, as a precursor to salvaging America. Any hope to heal the division, starts will all of us.
When the point on the right is cruelty, it seems a daunting task to reform them. If even Biden telling his son he loves him and he need help with his addiction is used to mock, where can be the repair?
(Getting in line behind Beschloss with keyboard in hand is a little like being behind the Pope at a wine tasting.)
It's late in the game, but if we're still proud enough of her to do it, regaining America is going to require a unifying cause (hopefully not of the 9/11 ilk), and much better leadership at every level... in the White House, statehouses, and city halls alike. And yes, those who've attacked the nation from within by crossing the line from demonstration to sedition must be dealt with, sooner rather than later.
Perhaps most importantly though, America's re-awakening needs to start in our own houses, with a much better example. Rather than looking for and picking at the diffferences among us, labeling everyone, why not find and pursue common cause? We can teach our kids that while some things are worth fighting for, not every battle must be joined, every insult returned. They are our greatest hope. Let's act like it.
There are other great causes that deserve our support, our time, talent, and energy. Pick one! Mine is the National Foundation for Transplants. Beyond that, why not resolve to put the danged device down and do something fun for a change? I've got a 9-weight fly rod that's begging to get wet.
I don't know. It's apparent that the diverse media alternatives to nightly news on 4 networks has had a dramatic impact on the cohesiveness of our society. Propaganda is a powerful tool used by all sides. I have pondered the idea that 330 million people is too large a group to agree on societal rules for governess and behavior. Then there is the impact of migration. History has shown that genocide is a common outcome to that issue. It frightens me. We are not in a good place for consensus on these matters.
I have been seeing comments from folks who I considered reasonable calling for Biden’s impeachment and imprisonment. They can only repeat the Q themes of pedophilia and nonspecific crimes.
Oct 16, 2022·edited Oct 16, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss
The question posed is: "Can the Dangerous Divide Be Repaired?" I would posit that the question is the wrong question. The appropriate question is: "Does the United States envisioned by the Founding Fathers still exist?"
The founding fathers knew that partisanship was an issue. George Washington addressed the topic of rampant partisanship in his farewell address:
"A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume."
So why do we only have the mechanisms of the ballot box and impeachment to regulate runaway political parties?
The founding fathers built the foundations of Government on the Georgian concept of personal honor. That concept demands that each member of Congress, each member of the Judiciary, and each member of the Executive execute their functions with personal integrity and personal honor. If anyone should fail then it is incumbent upon them to hold each other accountable. What happens when a member of government lies without shame what can be done when their colleagues refuse to hold them to account, or worse yet reward them? Even today, government ethics laws only really deal with financial issues - have you been corrupted financially? There is no mechanism to hold you accountable for lying in public.
Look at the revelations this week surrounding Steve Scalise. Look at the past decades of willful lies by Rand Paul, Louis Gohmert, Ron Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, and Chuck Grassley. All have traded personal honor for power. The constitution gives us no remedy.
On top of that, we have the issues that others below have addressed: Corporate entities in the US are free to spread whatever lies they want without any means of redress. Only in rare cases, such as the Alex Jones case, can a limited set of civil laws be used to hold one to account.
When there is no respect for expertise when any fact that you disagree with is "fake news" or part of a conspiracy when there is no personal honor left - does the nation created by the founding fathers still exist?
Are our elections nothing more than popular entertainment designed to give the masses an illusion of choice? Have corrupt politicians so damaged the system that it is incapable of a fair result? We have gerrymandering enabled by the Supreme Court, States like Texas allow armed poll watchers, and private militias staking out voting drop boxes and polling places. Minorities are prevented from voting by laws that would make Jim Crow-era politicians blush. Since 2020 more election officials have been replaced with partisan hacks. 2020 showed where the weaknesses were - every place the system held has been under systematic attack.
I think there are ways to fix the system. I have serious doubts that there is political will in the US to do anything to Fix the system. The Democrats are too afraid of their own shadow to address the issues. The Republicans are too beholden to their devil's bargain coalition (corporations, evangelicals, war hawks) to even admit there is an issue. The Fourth Estate is only interested in clickbait journalism and yelling into their own echo chambers.
At any rate - I chose recently to leave the country. As a gay man with a family, I saw the GOP winning and taking away legal recognition of my family. It's easy to see them even making my life illegal again. I had the means to leave, so I did. My Answer to the questions posed conclusion that there is no fixing whats broken in the United States. The political divide has destroyed the nation, and the United States I grew up in no longer exists.
Professional de-programmers working with small groups of Fox News/Newsmax cult followers. Seriously. I'd start by having them watch Rod Serling's Twilight Zone episode, "To Serve Man," first inoculating them to the fact that the technology is very old so they don't discount the episode. I'd also first explain who Rod Serling was and why he wrote what he wrote. Then let the professional de-programmers work with the people as a group. You can't just confront these folks...but if you can plant a seed of doubt in some, that will spread. They will have to absorb the seed of doubt and then start thinking on their own, with the help of professionals. AND, on the larger level - somehow, someone has to sue the hell out of Rupert Murdoch and re-institute a modernized version of the Fairness Doctrine. If we can go BLUE in November, we can start to address the need to reform our educational system, voting legislation etc. But I would start with that seed of doubt immediately, because November really is determinative.
I believe the road to an inkling of any kind of reconciliation of this divide must go through the DOJ. The Rule Of Law must be deployed swiftly and decisively.. These MAGA People in the country see the planners of J/6 thumb their noses at all of it..From Trump on down to the congressional players to the outside accomplices all must see big financial losses and long prison terms. This nonsense of issuing a subpoena, having it dismissed as though it were a spam email and having no consequences must stop. 
These are the crimes:
18 U.S. Code § 2381 Treason
18 U.S. Code § 2383 insurrection
18 U.S. Code §2384 Sedition
18 U.S. Code §2385 Advocating overthrow of Government
18 U.S. Code Chapter 73 - OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
Not a fucking parking ticket. Pardon my potty mouth..The conspirators of this need to be dealt with for perpetrating the act of war that it was.
January 6th was an act of domestic terrorism, those who planned and conspired and perpetrated this attack on our government should be treated just the same as those who are sitting in Guantánamo Bay, enemy combatants against the United States of America is what they are. This is not some white-collar crime.. And the planners and co-conspirators and people at the center of all of it should be in jail right now, awaiting trial, not sitting in their Senate seats or House seats.
When the reckoning for all of those people begins, that’s when we will perhaps see these MAGA cultists begin to pay attention..maybe start to see this for what it truly is..Not before.
I don’t think it’s possible to have political peace
in America until Foxnews & its clones are forced to stop spewing propaganda & hate. We need new broadcasting rules that reflect & align with the 1st amendment carve-outs of unprotected speech: 1. Incitement, Incitement to suicide
2.False statements of fact 3.Counterfeit currency
4. Obscenity & Child Pornography 5. Fighting words 6.Threatening the president.7. Fraud
8. speech integral to illegal conduct 9. speech that incites imminent lawless action 10.speech that violates intellectual property law 11. true threats 12. commercial speech such as ads 13. Defamation that causes harm to reputation is a tort and also an exception to free speech. It’s hard for me to believe we can’t force Foxnews out of business based on their flagrant violations of
the 1st amendment. But there can always be new legislation to address the problem IF dems are the majority party.
Next, our federal government must purge itself of Trump supporters and fascists, including Trump sympathizers in the FBI, Secret Service & the Supreme Court because they will continue to undermine the rule of law. We must have ethical rules with teeth for Supreme Court Justices and forced retirement when Justices reach a certain age. We should consider expanding the Court & solicit input from attorneys in good standing on the topic.
Extremists on the right have mocked & down- played the importance of education, so we need to revitalize our public education system and require govt. oversight for private schools that receive ANY govt. funding, state or federal. We also need to require that every student take classes in government & the Constitution before they graduate from high school.
Our police departments, sheriff depts. & the armed services have been infiltrated by white supremacists. They should be confronted & re-trained. If they continue to engage in excessive, inappropriate violence and/or racist behavior, it should be documented and they should be fired.
Extremists on the right have mocked & down- played the importance of education, so we need to revitalize our public education system and require govt. oversight for private schools that receive ANY govt. funding, state or federal.
But the number 1, most important thing we can do to protect America & our way of life, is take money out of campaigns and elections. Money is at the root of our current political dysfunction. Why? Because campaign donations = bribes & bribes = corruption. Ever since Citizens United was decided the amount of money being poured into campaigns & ancillary businesses has escalated into Billions of dollars. Not only is that insane, it disenfranchises millions of Americans. It forces politicians to lie to their constituents, because they aren’t in Congress to help the people who elected them, they’re in Congress for the purpose of self-enrichment and they have to hide that distasteful fact from the people who voted for them.
If you think about it, money is the reason we can’t force pharma to lower the cost of prescriptions-because pharma gives huge campaign donations in exchange for voting against lowering Rx costs. Republicans refused to acknowledge climate change to the detriment of all humanity, because the oil & gas industry gave huge campaign donations to persons in Congress who voted against addressing climate change. Republicans are against all regulations because certain industries want to dump toxic waste wherever it’s convenient to do so, even if that toxic waste results in giving cancer to people living in the vicinity of it. Republicans agree to not address it if they get large campaign donations from those companies. I could go on, but you get the idea.
Bottom line: the availability of large campaign
donations in exchange for quashing legislation unfavorable to corporations is destroying us.
We can address the problem by making all campaign donations illegal. Instead, each candidate should receive the same amount of public money for the purpose of campaigning.
All receipts for campaign expenditures should be turned over to the fec. When a campaign runs out of money, they’re done. Passing legislation making campaign donations illegal can be done only if Dems are the majority in both the House and the Senate--and if we have a Dem President.
We might get the opportunity to do it after the upcoming elections. If so, it would be the most important legislation passed in the modern era. If we don’t pass it, I’m afraid our democracy is doomed, because we will continue to have tyrants who manage to elevate themselves into positions of power one way or another.
I’m an immigrant since 1978 and voting citizen since 1986. When I was new to voting, I asked a grad school professor’s advice (18th century British literature), and he said, “you can never go wrong voting for all democratic candidates.” I’ve followed his advice for all of my voting years and have given the same advice to anyone who asks me.
The present divide cannot be bridged unless there is accountability for every one of the actors in this American disaster. Contrary to what McConnell said—and Lester Holt repeats in his ads for NBC’s Evening News—there will NOT be violence in the streets when trump is indicted, tried, and convicted; there will, in fact, be dancing in the streets.
A previous commentator opined that the country has always been divided. While this is undoubtedly true—more recently we made websites with millions of individuals holding signs apologizing to the world for our election of W. Bush—there has been nothing like the brainwashing of the MAGA movement. No amount of reason, kindness, inclusive and/or unconditional love can help these hapless individuals realize that they have been conned. I’m talking about our relatives, neighbors, and friends.
Accountability for the insurrection and attempted coup is an absolute necessity. There can be no escape. There also has to be a reckoning in the FBI, the Security Service, and the police force. These federal and local services have all been infiltrated and are infested with MAGA victims who cannot perform their duties and whose performance leads to calls to “defund the police,” to the Vice President refusing to get into a Secret Service vehicle, and to the FBI dragging its feet when Congress is clearly under attack, as any five-year-old could see.
The voting public is handicapped by massive amounts of dark money, gerrymandering, and voter suppression. Still, a massive effort by voters may slow down the MAGA train, but only accountability and a thorough cleansing of all federal and local law enforcement to root out the evil can stop it and can restore faith in America. Once that happens, we can only hope that the millions of hapless cult followers will tire of and forget about the MAGA delusion, especially after its leader has died forgotten in prison.
Nice post Steve, that narrates the the dilemma we’re in. We can only do our part and keep optimistic that in the end, the truth will prevail. However, I wouldn’t count bots and trolls as a genuine manifestation of a true populist divide. All these entities are machine generated to give an illusion of a greater split.
The divide in our “politics” is the same as it has always been: The thirds. One third is the riled up crowd that votes against their interests. One third is the people who are aloof and airy, unwilling to participate. One third is the people who believe that they should elect a government that responds to the needs of the greater good.
Getting a responsible government has been the fight since our Declaration of Independence. Having three branches was the idea that at least one branch would act on the side of what is right.
But today is different. One third has leaders who knowingly have united with the forces of the global fascist movement. And whose ignorant followers have unwittingly supported them, voting against their interests; supporting ideas that are anathema to the American system.
We are no longer battling a war of simple internal politics but also a war against the meddling of outside destructive forces that the leaders of the GOP have aligned themselves with.
What do we do about treason? When one third of Americans have divorced themselves from the rest of us?
When has that happened before? When has the USA had a treasonous political party? And not just any party, but a party that represents one third of Americans.
The young are the solution to this “divide”. Good luck to them.
Oct 15, 2022·edited Oct 15, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss
I believe there is progress now, but we need to move away from punishment mode, which most likely only leads to frustration. There are organizations, like NoLabels and Reform Elections Now (of which I am President - full disclosure), that are looking to solve problems with non-partisan political science and focus on better governance through political reform. You are correct that the political parties are a large part of the problem, but they can also be part of the solution. Attention needs to be shifted from retribution for prior acts to motivation for good governance. Omnibus megabills and ideological absolutism from both left and right wings are the toxic elements that we need to resist.
There have always been 2 sides to everything, & divisions remain. There are parents who have faced murderers of a child & forgiven them, believing to go forward, they can't give their lives over to thoughts of the perpetrator. Others, like the Sandy Hook parents, will never forgive & forget, have fought for justice every minute since it occurred, seeing some relief from the Jones punishment.There will never be agreement between these people.
On a national level, there have been deep divisions in the past. Way back, we have Jefferson/ Hamilton. Opinion on the entrance of the US into WW II was deeply divided between isolationists led by Lindbergh & interventionists primarily led by the President who realized Britain, alone, remained the last line of defense against fascism. A large number of people felt WW I a mistake, thousands killed for nothing . There was widespread hatred of Roosevelt. A united country came only with Pearl Harbor. And now, we have the Ukraine/Russian war simmering.
I believe trump's base is dedicated to him, not those who are running on his coat tails. Eliminate him, prison or death, and unification will occur until the next dilemma.
At the moment, (not to take away from this serious discussion) I am in a division situation:
Penn State against Michigan !! But at the end, no matter who wins, they will shake hands . May this happen nationally. We are all Americans.
When we made it a national priority to clean our air and water, we did that by attacking the source of the pollution. Many gave up on the idea saying it couldn't be done, it was way beyond repair. We have made an incredible comeback; we know we can do it. Can we tackle political pollution with the same intensity and vitality we did to our air and water? If there is the will, we will find a way. Start with the propaganda machinery. Let's place a value and find agreement on simple truths and build on that a foundation where lies will not, cannot, nor shall be tolerated.
Hi Steven, all the way across the Atlantic I follow closely how democracy is under threat in the USA as well as in Europe. To revert back to ‘normal’ is only possible when the propaganda stops. There are big $$$ and €€€ behind Facebook, Twitter and FoxNews misinformation campaigns. Putin is at war with us for over a decade. Murdoch and some more questionable Billionaires have joined him to disrupt our democracies.
We must join forces to stop them. People live in their ‘information bubble’ and nothing from outside that bubble is perceived as true. So we mist stop that bubble. Very difficult indeed. The only thing USA citizens can do short term is to vote Blue to save democracy. Everything else just has to wait.
I think it can. First we need to call out the name calling. I am Antifa and so is everyone else who believes in the American experiment. Antifa has been so denigrated by the right that people are reluctant to admit that they are against fascism. I am also Black Lives Matter because we need to repair our American culture from the cruel and destructive treatment of people of color. We need to admit it, face it and do everything that we can to equalise all members of our society. Second, we need to recognise that our founding fathers were men, not prophets. They could not have foreseen the future development of weaponry, communications, and global, political and economic interactions of today. The abuse of the second amendment as a cudgel to generate huge profits for the gun industry must end. The abuse of freedom of the press by large corporations for profit and political power must end. The treatment of the constitution by the constructionist jurists must be called out for what it is; a shield to impose backward and outdated ideas on our modern society.
Third, we need to revamp our democratic processes to enable all citizens to vote with equal weight. The current electoral college system is a monster from a bygone era that has become a tool for manipulation of political power along with gerrymandering and monetary influence peddling in our legislative bodies. Fourth, and finally, we need to revise the job description and impose standards for the offices of the president, congressmen, and judges to reflect the needs of the country and its people. Equal treatment under the law needs to include the president, legislators and judges. They need to be held accountable for their actions as would any other citizen and removed from their positions as would any other employee of the people. Our dangerous divide is a product of our antiquated laws and our overly zealous reliance on the knowledge and foresight of our human forefathers as they drafted what was a wonderful constitution for a nation in 1887. But this is 2022.
Blame Ronald Reagan, at least partially. Under Reagan, the Federal Communications Commission repealed its so-called “fairness doctrine,” which applied only to over-the-air broadcasters.
Blame Bill Clinton, who failed to veto the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which took the ceiling off how many radio and television stations one entity can own.
Blame the Rupert family, their lackey, the smart-ass Roger Ailes, and others who crafted Fox into a propaganda machine without equal.
Of course, blame Zuckerberg for his languid approach to moderating the lies and hate on his Facebook.
Blame every American who fails to think critically about news and information, who automatically trusts what they hear on radio, television, Facebook, Twitter and the rest.
To answer your question, Mr. Beschloss, and writing as a former broadcast manager and station owner, I’d suggest:
• Reinstating the Fairness Doctrine and applying it to internet-based media as well as radio and television
• Imposing ownership caps on radio and television stations, forcing companies such as iHeart and Nexstar to divest
• Require radio and television stations to make at least a tenth of their daily programming locally produced
• Repealing Section 230 to make any owner of an internet platform -- or any internet service provider -- liable for libel and slander equal to the liability of any other entity.
And the chances of any of those ideas happening? Zero.
I read about an experiment that was done, perhaps four or five months ago, in which hardline pro-trumpers were put in an environment where they did not have access to Fox News and the like. I honestly don’t remember the details, and could not even say how scientific it was, but the apparent result was that after a month, many or most had changed their minds as to what the truth was.
I think it is totally shameful that Fox News should be allowed to call itself news.
Thank you for trying but sadly the dangerous divide will get worse when Trump is indicted and tried. We just have to learn to live with it and to arrest those who threaten violence. Until the moderate Rs decide on a divorce from MAGA, it will continue as a political force. However, 4 to 8 more years of youth voting will dramatically improve the national discourse. We love reading and hearing you and will upgrade. Ira Lechner San Diego
I believe it will take the civics education for adults who may have forgotten or never learned.
As a state turned red, the first order of business was to cut PUBLIC education or redirect the federal funds to private or religious madrassas. A separate and unequal school system with no national standards. The public school's courses of study are being overruled by local religious cults.
It will take a "truth in news" law to eliminate the biggest threat to any democracy, propaganda. "We have built this Reich on propaganda" ~ Josef Goebbels.
I'm 63 and it's been this way my whole life. There was never a time when the divide was or could be bridged. There is nothing to restore, even in the halcyon days of WW2 and the 50s women and minorities and the poor were treated horribly. I'd like to be hopeful but then I remember I can't bridge over to scumbag racist sexist bigots. Maybe the next generation but if they manage it, it would be the first time in human history.
Number one on the list should be no more money funneled into any campaign for public office. NO money. A candidate will always be given ample opportunity to express their goals via the news media, and a vast amount of other communications mediums including speaking with Substack contributors such as yourself. And, there's always the old go out and knock on door retail campaign. This will alleviate a huge amount of divisiveness created by the moneyed class seeking to bamboozle folks into believing that they're smarter...
A nationwide broadcast, in plain language and imagery, about how fascists rose to power in Italy and Germany may help to awaken moderates to the very real threat here in the U.S. Prosecution will not deter the movement, just as it did not deter Mussolini or Hitler after they served time in prison. The violence we witnessed on January 6, 2021, was a copycat exercise of exactly what the Black Shirts and the Brown Shirts did in Europe in the early 20th century. There is no coming together as long as so many of our citizens actually believe that fascism is an acceptable form of government. We must not compromise. We must not appease. We will not be able to claim we did not know. We must stand strong and unrelenting. "Coming together" and compromise is actually tolerance. That is dangerous.
Though we hardly need more litigation, it took the Dominion lawsuits against Fox News and their ilk to get them to finally tell the truth (although just for a short time). We need more people suing them for defamation and standing up to their lies. Almost always they lie without impunity and face no consequences at all. There must be consequences for telling all these lies, whether it's Fox News, Alex Jones, Republicans, and especially Trump.
I feel as negative and depressed about this situation as you sound. I fear that so much damage has been done that even if indictments and convictions happen the problem will still exist because of all of the cult followers. They're not going to go quietly. In fact I fear that they could become even more vocal and violent, because that is what they were taught by their cult leader. Bringing justice is a start. If the GOP enablers would regain their moral compass and stand up for what is correct, that would help the situation; but I think they are too afraid of losing the cult base (even if their cult leader goes down, and him going down is still questionable). And if things get better at all, I agree with you that it will probably take a generation. Time for the current mentality to fade away and a new mentality to arise. I guess I didn't offer any optimism or any suggestions. That's because I don't have any. Sadly I spend lots of time thinking about this without coming up with any answers or any positive actions we can take to make our world a better place. I pray that someone else in this great, supportive group has some ideas. Again, thank you for this forum.
I do think the good future lies within the youth. As a teenaged youth in the sixties, we thought we were enlightened but, the youth of today are far light years away. We must take care of them and provide for them. We must encourage and reward their goodness.
What did it take to defeat the last fascist wave in the early- to mid-20th century? Will take more “blood, sweat and tears” this time around, I fear.
I read all the comments, and appreciate the sincerity and wisdom of individuals on this America, America platform. I am a Canadian, with family members living in the USA, and have travelled extensively across the Nation. It is clear that the root of corruption in society is money and power. An excessive attachment to material wealth proliferates in the media and politics, and essentially overrides integrity. Elected officials at all levels of government are too often NOT representative of the people in their communities, especially where poverty appears to have no 'bottom'. With TV coverage, the political arena has devolved into a vaudeville show, with many self-serving bad actors. No one is better at manipulating people and dividing the country than Donald Trump, an individual devoid of redeeming qualities. Over time the Country didn't just lose its soul. It became bereft of heart, i.e. caring and kindness. Freedom cannot be interpreted as doing whatever one wants, regardless of how it may affect others. The societal malaise is a universal phenomenon, and not restricted to the United States alone. Which brings me back to my premise about money and power. Television ads prove that Big Pharma runs the table, and funds the Media, Press and politics. Power players dominate corporations. Overall, the standards for humanity need to be higher, and by that I mean encompass the attributes of kindness, compassion and respect; and having a genuine interest in the well-being of others. More than 160 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln called on 'the better Angels of our Nature' in his first inaugural address in 1861. We lost track of integrity along the way, and must strive to connect on an altruistic level, as a precursor to salvaging America. Any hope to heal the division, starts will all of us.
When the point on the right is cruelty, it seems a daunting task to reform them. If even Biden telling his son he loves him and he need help with his addiction is used to mock, where can be the repair?
(Getting in line behind Beschloss with keyboard in hand is a little like being behind the Pope at a wine tasting.)
It's late in the game, but if we're still proud enough of her to do it, regaining America is going to require a unifying cause (hopefully not of the 9/11 ilk), and much better leadership at every level... in the White House, statehouses, and city halls alike. And yes, those who've attacked the nation from within by crossing the line from demonstration to sedition must be dealt with, sooner rather than later.
Perhaps most importantly though, America's re-awakening needs to start in our own houses, with a much better example. Rather than looking for and picking at the diffferences among us, labeling everyone, why not find and pursue common cause? We can teach our kids that while some things are worth fighting for, not every battle must be joined, every insult returned. They are our greatest hope. Let's act like it.
There are other great causes that deserve our support, our time, talent, and energy. Pick one! Mine is the National Foundation for Transplants. Beyond that, why not resolve to put the danged device down and do something fun for a change? I've got a 9-weight fly rod that's begging to get wet.
I am wondering if we can restore a standard of truth in news reporting. (Would the First Amendment allow it? Who would decide what is accurate?)
If we can't then I fear we're in big trouble.
It seems to me our enemies have found a weak spot - our freedom of the press - and are using it to destroy us.
I don't know. It's apparent that the diverse media alternatives to nightly news on 4 networks has had a dramatic impact on the cohesiveness of our society. Propaganda is a powerful tool used by all sides. I have pondered the idea that 330 million people is too large a group to agree on societal rules for governess and behavior. Then there is the impact of migration. History has shown that genocide is a common outcome to that issue. It frightens me. We are not in a good place for consensus on these matters.
I have been seeing comments from folks who I considered reasonable calling for Biden’s impeachment and imprisonment. They can only repeat the Q themes of pedophilia and nonspecific crimes.
The question posed is: "Can the Dangerous Divide Be Repaired?" I would posit that the question is the wrong question. The appropriate question is: "Does the United States envisioned by the Founding Fathers still exist?"
The founding fathers knew that partisanship was an issue. George Washington addressed the topic of rampant partisanship in his farewell address:
"A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume."
So why do we only have the mechanisms of the ballot box and impeachment to regulate runaway political parties?
The founding fathers built the foundations of Government on the Georgian concept of personal honor. That concept demands that each member of Congress, each member of the Judiciary, and each member of the Executive execute their functions with personal integrity and personal honor. If anyone should fail then it is incumbent upon them to hold each other accountable. What happens when a member of government lies without shame what can be done when their colleagues refuse to hold them to account, or worse yet reward them? Even today, government ethics laws only really deal with financial issues - have you been corrupted financially? There is no mechanism to hold you accountable for lying in public.
Look at the revelations this week surrounding Steve Scalise. Look at the past decades of willful lies by Rand Paul, Louis Gohmert, Ron Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, and Chuck Grassley. All have traded personal honor for power. The constitution gives us no remedy.
On top of that, we have the issues that others below have addressed: Corporate entities in the US are free to spread whatever lies they want without any means of redress. Only in rare cases, such as the Alex Jones case, can a limited set of civil laws be used to hold one to account.
When there is no respect for expertise when any fact that you disagree with is "fake news" or part of a conspiracy when there is no personal honor left - does the nation created by the founding fathers still exist?
Are our elections nothing more than popular entertainment designed to give the masses an illusion of choice? Have corrupt politicians so damaged the system that it is incapable of a fair result? We have gerrymandering enabled by the Supreme Court, States like Texas allow armed poll watchers, and private militias staking out voting drop boxes and polling places. Minorities are prevented from voting by laws that would make Jim Crow-era politicians blush. Since 2020 more election officials have been replaced with partisan hacks. 2020 showed where the weaknesses were - every place the system held has been under systematic attack.
I think there are ways to fix the system. I have serious doubts that there is political will in the US to do anything to Fix the system. The Democrats are too afraid of their own shadow to address the issues. The Republicans are too beholden to their devil's bargain coalition (corporations, evangelicals, war hawks) to even admit there is an issue. The Fourth Estate is only interested in clickbait journalism and yelling into their own echo chambers.
At any rate - I chose recently to leave the country. As a gay man with a family, I saw the GOP winning and taking away legal recognition of my family. It's easy to see them even making my life illegal again. I had the means to leave, so I did. My Answer to the questions posed conclusion that there is no fixing whats broken in the United States. The political divide has destroyed the nation, and the United States I grew up in no longer exists.
Professional de-programmers working with small groups of Fox News/Newsmax cult followers. Seriously. I'd start by having them watch Rod Serling's Twilight Zone episode, "To Serve Man," first inoculating them to the fact that the technology is very old so they don't discount the episode. I'd also first explain who Rod Serling was and why he wrote what he wrote. Then let the professional de-programmers work with the people as a group. You can't just confront these folks...but if you can plant a seed of doubt in some, that will spread. They will have to absorb the seed of doubt and then start thinking on their own, with the help of professionals. AND, on the larger level - somehow, someone has to sue the hell out of Rupert Murdoch and re-institute a modernized version of the Fairness Doctrine. If we can go BLUE in November, we can start to address the need to reform our educational system, voting legislation etc. But I would start with that seed of doubt immediately, because November really is determinative.
I believe the road to an inkling of any kind of reconciliation of this divide must go through the DOJ. The Rule Of Law must be deployed swiftly and decisively.. These MAGA People in the country see the planners of J/6 thumb their noses at all of it..From Trump on down to the congressional players to the outside accomplices all must see big financial losses and long prison terms. This nonsense of issuing a subpoena, having it dismissed as though it were a spam email and having no consequences must stop. 
These are the crimes:
18 U.S. Code § 2381 Treason
18 U.S. Code § 2383 insurrection
18 U.S. Code §2384 Sedition
18 U.S. Code §2385 Advocating overthrow of Government
18 U.S. Code Chapter 73 - OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
Not a fucking parking ticket. Pardon my potty mouth..The conspirators of this need to be dealt with for perpetrating the act of war that it was.
January 6th was an act of domestic terrorism, those who planned and conspired and perpetrated this attack on our government should be treated just the same as those who are sitting in Guantánamo Bay, enemy combatants against the United States of America is what they are. This is not some white-collar crime.. And the planners and co-conspirators and people at the center of all of it should be in jail right now, awaiting trial, not sitting in their Senate seats or House seats.
When the reckoning for all of those people begins, that’s when we will perhaps see these MAGA cultists begin to pay attention..maybe start to see this for what it truly is..Not before.
I don’t think it’s possible to have political peace
in America until Foxnews & its clones are forced to stop spewing propaganda & hate. We need new broadcasting rules that reflect & align with the 1st amendment carve-outs of unprotected speech: 1. Incitement, Incitement to suicide
2.False statements of fact 3.Counterfeit currency
4. Obscenity & Child Pornography 5. Fighting words 6.Threatening the president.7. Fraud
8. speech integral to illegal conduct 9. speech that incites imminent lawless action 10.speech that violates intellectual property law 11. true threats 12. commercial speech such as ads 13. Defamation that causes harm to reputation is a tort and also an exception to free speech. It’s hard for me to believe we can’t force Foxnews out of business based on their flagrant violations of
the 1st amendment. But there can always be new legislation to address the problem IF dems are the majority party.
Next, our federal government must purge itself of Trump supporters and fascists, including Trump sympathizers in the FBI, Secret Service & the Supreme Court because they will continue to undermine the rule of law. We must have ethical rules with teeth for Supreme Court Justices and forced retirement when Justices reach a certain age. We should consider expanding the Court & solicit input from attorneys in good standing on the topic.
Extremists on the right have mocked & down- played the importance of education, so we need to revitalize our public education system and require govt. oversight for private schools that receive ANY govt. funding, state or federal. We also need to require that every student take classes in government & the Constitution before they graduate from high school.
Our police departments, sheriff depts. & the armed services have been infiltrated by white supremacists. They should be confronted & re-trained. If they continue to engage in excessive, inappropriate violence and/or racist behavior, it should be documented and they should be fired.
Extremists on the right have mocked & down- played the importance of education, so we need to revitalize our public education system and require govt. oversight for private schools that receive ANY govt. funding, state or federal.
But the number 1, most important thing we can do to protect America & our way of life, is take money out of campaigns and elections. Money is at the root of our current political dysfunction. Why? Because campaign donations = bribes & bribes = corruption. Ever since Citizens United was decided the amount of money being poured into campaigns & ancillary businesses has escalated into Billions of dollars. Not only is that insane, it disenfranchises millions of Americans. It forces politicians to lie to their constituents, because they aren’t in Congress to help the people who elected them, they’re in Congress for the purpose of self-enrichment and they have to hide that distasteful fact from the people who voted for them.
If you think about it, money is the reason we can’t force pharma to lower the cost of prescriptions-because pharma gives huge campaign donations in exchange for voting against lowering Rx costs. Republicans refused to acknowledge climate change to the detriment of all humanity, because the oil & gas industry gave huge campaign donations to persons in Congress who voted against addressing climate change. Republicans are against all regulations because certain industries want to dump toxic waste wherever it’s convenient to do so, even if that toxic waste results in giving cancer to people living in the vicinity of it. Republicans agree to not address it if they get large campaign donations from those companies. I could go on, but you get the idea.
Bottom line: the availability of large campaign
donations in exchange for quashing legislation unfavorable to corporations is destroying us.
We can address the problem by making all campaign donations illegal. Instead, each candidate should receive the same amount of public money for the purpose of campaigning.
All receipts for campaign expenditures should be turned over to the fec. When a campaign runs out of money, they’re done. Passing legislation making campaign donations illegal can be done only if Dems are the majority in both the House and the Senate--and if we have a Dem President.
We might get the opportunity to do it after the upcoming elections. If so, it would be the most important legislation passed in the modern era. If we don’t pass it, I’m afraid our democracy is doomed, because we will continue to have tyrants who manage to elevate themselves into positions of power one way or another.
I’m an immigrant since 1978 and voting citizen since 1986. When I was new to voting, I asked a grad school professor’s advice (18th century British literature), and he said, “you can never go wrong voting for all democratic candidates.” I’ve followed his advice for all of my voting years and have given the same advice to anyone who asks me.
The present divide cannot be bridged unless there is accountability for every one of the actors in this American disaster. Contrary to what McConnell said—and Lester Holt repeats in his ads for NBC’s Evening News—there will NOT be violence in the streets when trump is indicted, tried, and convicted; there will, in fact, be dancing in the streets.
A previous commentator opined that the country has always been divided. While this is undoubtedly true—more recently we made websites with millions of individuals holding signs apologizing to the world for our election of W. Bush—there has been nothing like the brainwashing of the MAGA movement. No amount of reason, kindness, inclusive and/or unconditional love can help these hapless individuals realize that they have been conned. I’m talking about our relatives, neighbors, and friends.
Accountability for the insurrection and attempted coup is an absolute necessity. There can be no escape. There also has to be a reckoning in the FBI, the Security Service, and the police force. These federal and local services have all been infiltrated and are infested with MAGA victims who cannot perform their duties and whose performance leads to calls to “defund the police,” to the Vice President refusing to get into a Secret Service vehicle, and to the FBI dragging its feet when Congress is clearly under attack, as any five-year-old could see.
The voting public is handicapped by massive amounts of dark money, gerrymandering, and voter suppression. Still, a massive effort by voters may slow down the MAGA train, but only accountability and a thorough cleansing of all federal and local law enforcement to root out the evil can stop it and can restore faith in America. Once that happens, we can only hope that the millions of hapless cult followers will tire of and forget about the MAGA delusion, especially after its leader has died forgotten in prison.
Nice post Steve, that narrates the the dilemma we’re in. We can only do our part and keep optimistic that in the end, the truth will prevail. However, I wouldn’t count bots and trolls as a genuine manifestation of a true populist divide. All these entities are machine generated to give an illusion of a greater split.
The divide in our “politics” is the same as it has always been: The thirds. One third is the riled up crowd that votes against their interests. One third is the people who are aloof and airy, unwilling to participate. One third is the people who believe that they should elect a government that responds to the needs of the greater good.
Getting a responsible government has been the fight since our Declaration of Independence. Having three branches was the idea that at least one branch would act on the side of what is right.
But today is different. One third has leaders who knowingly have united with the forces of the global fascist movement. And whose ignorant followers have unwittingly supported them, voting against their interests; supporting ideas that are anathema to the American system.
We are no longer battling a war of simple internal politics but also a war against the meddling of outside destructive forces that the leaders of the GOP have aligned themselves with.
What do we do about treason? When one third of Americans have divorced themselves from the rest of us?
When has that happened before? When has the USA had a treasonous political party? And not just any party, but a party that represents one third of Americans.
The young are the solution to this “divide”. Good luck to them.
I believe there is progress now, but we need to move away from punishment mode, which most likely only leads to frustration. There are organizations, like NoLabels and Reform Elections Now (of which I am President - full disclosure), that are looking to solve problems with non-partisan political science and focus on better governance through political reform. You are correct that the political parties are a large part of the problem, but they can also be part of the solution. Attention needs to be shifted from retribution for prior acts to motivation for good governance. Omnibus megabills and ideological absolutism from both left and right wings are the toxic elements that we need to resist.
There have always been 2 sides to everything, & divisions remain. There are parents who have faced murderers of a child & forgiven them, believing to go forward, they can't give their lives over to thoughts of the perpetrator. Others, like the Sandy Hook parents, will never forgive & forget, have fought for justice every minute since it occurred, seeing some relief from the Jones punishment.There will never be agreement between these people.
On a national level, there have been deep divisions in the past. Way back, we have Jefferson/ Hamilton. Opinion on the entrance of the US into WW II was deeply divided between isolationists led by Lindbergh & interventionists primarily led by the President who realized Britain, alone, remained the last line of defense against fascism. A large number of people felt WW I a mistake, thousands killed for nothing . There was widespread hatred of Roosevelt. A united country came only with Pearl Harbor. And now, we have the Ukraine/Russian war simmering.
I believe trump's base is dedicated to him, not those who are running on his coat tails. Eliminate him, prison or death, and unification will occur until the next dilemma.
At the moment, (not to take away from this serious discussion) I am in a division situation:
Penn State against Michigan !! But at the end, no matter who wins, they will shake hands . May this happen nationally. We are all Americans.
When we made it a national priority to clean our air and water, we did that by attacking the source of the pollution. Many gave up on the idea saying it couldn't be done, it was way beyond repair. We have made an incredible comeback; we know we can do it. Can we tackle political pollution with the same intensity and vitality we did to our air and water? If there is the will, we will find a way. Start with the propaganda machinery. Let's place a value and find agreement on simple truths and build on that a foundation where lies will not, cannot, nor shall be tolerated.
Hi Steven, all the way across the Atlantic I follow closely how democracy is under threat in the USA as well as in Europe. To revert back to ‘normal’ is only possible when the propaganda stops. There are big $$$ and €€€ behind Facebook, Twitter and FoxNews misinformation campaigns. Putin is at war with us for over a decade. Murdoch and some more questionable Billionaires have joined him to disrupt our democracies.
We must join forces to stop them. People live in their ‘information bubble’ and nothing from outside that bubble is perceived as true. So we mist stop that bubble. Very difficult indeed. The only thing USA citizens can do short term is to vote Blue to save democracy. Everything else just has to wait.