ROBERT REICH: "Perhaps we’ve got to face the fact we’re really two nations"

[davidn3600]

32. It's typical of larger nations

When you look at history, larger countries have increasing problems maintaining unity.

Many of the socialistic-thinking countries in Europe are rather small, have stronger cultural bonds, and have stronger central governments. So those socialistic policies tend to be more successful there. The US by design has a weak federal system and a melting pot of various cultures. It's actually kind of amazing we have only had 1 civil war. Chances are there will be more in the future if our economy goes into the toilet. Our economics has largely been strong and stable enough throughout our history to maintain unity and keep people happy enough. But if the economy completely blows apart and people start starving, things can unravel very quickly.

There is the reality that perhaps a reason we have so much deadlock in Washington is some of our laws being passed on the federal level do is not being viewed that they benefit everyone equally. Gun control for example....the large urban centers see it as a way to reduce the crime rate and mass shootings. The rural areas though see it as the federal government trying to take their Constitutional rights. These are two fundamentally different beliefs that conflict. And that conflict results in deadlock. Lots of issues are the same way. And it's a reason Washington never seems to be able to get anything done anymore.

A person who grew up in rural parts of the south did not live the same life as a person who grew up in the center of Philadelphia. These two people have different life experiences. The bigger and more diverse the country gets, the harder it will be to get everyone to agree. No two people in this country think exactly the same way.