George Packer on 21st century America:
“When the virus came here, it found a country with
serious underlying conditions, and it exploited them ruthlessly. Chronic ills—a
corrupt political class, a sclerotic bureaucracy, a heartless economy, a
divided and distracted public—had gone untreated for years. We had learned to
live, uncomfortably, with the symptoms. It took the scale and intimacy of a
pandemic to expose their severity—to shock Americans with the recognition that
we are in the high-risk category. …
Like a wanton boy throwing matches in a parched field,
Trump began to immolate what was left of national civic life. He never even
pretended to be president of the whole country, but pitted us against one
another along lines of race, sex, religion, citizenship, education, region,
and—every day of his presidency—political party. …
Trump acquired a federal government crippled by years
of right-wing ideological assault, politicization by both parties, and steady
defunding. He set about finishing off the job and destroying the professional
civil service. He drove out some of the most talented and experienced career
officials, left essential positions unfilled, and installed loyalists as
commissars over the cowed survivors, with one purpose: to serve his own
interests”.
Disunited States
Long held up as a model for Europe, the United States
is now also suffering from balkanization, internal competition, out-of-touch
and short-sighted leadership, and narrow turf battles. Given the large number
of pressing global challenges, the world must hope that America does not go
further down that road.
Trump’s Negligence Is Now Every American’s Burden
Trump, Head of Government, Leans into
Antigovernment Message
Covid-19 Will Push Partisan Polarization to the
Brink