Divided we fall America's secession threat and how to restore our nation
Book - 2020
"David French examines the depths of the American ideological divide, diagnoses its core causes, and provides a hopeful path forward. Polarization. Tribalization. Division. Some look at the growing political tension in our nation and call it a "cold civil war." Others say it's nothing more than the culture war of the last three decades, amplified beyond reason by social media. David French argues that it's something else-the beginning of a national separation that could very well end in secession. An engaging mix of cutting edge research and fair-minded analysis, Divided We Fall is an unblinking look at the true dimensions and dangers of this widening ideological gap, and what could happen if we don't take step...s toward bridging it. French imagines a near future where the states are no longer united. He illustrates several chillingly plausible national break-up scenarios, and unpacks the significant-and often surprising-domestic and global consequences of such an event. But our future is not written in stone. There are solutions, but they aren't easy and they require an awakening. They require the rediscovery of old American constitutional principles combined with a dose of humility for all sides. If we want to remain standing, we must learn to stand together again"--
- Subjects
- Published
-
New York :
St. Martin's Press
2020.
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Edition
- First edition
- Physical Description
- viii, 276 pages ; 22 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- ISBN
- 9781250201973
- Introduction: A House Divided
- Part I. The Relentless Momentum of Our Mutual Contempt
- 1. Understanding the Geography of American Division
- 2. Geography Plus Culture Plus Fear Equals Secession
- 3. The Kindling Awaits the Spark of Fear
- 4. America Cannot Repeat Even Its Recent History of Violence
- 5. How an Academic Paper Explains America
- 6. Churches and Cities, the Core of Group Polarization
- 7. Politics Trumps Everything
- 8. From Extreme to Mainstream, Time and Again
- 9. The Shifting Window of Acceptable Discourse
- 10. Losing the Free Speech Culture
- 11. Losing a Common Political Language
- Part II. The Dissolution
- 12. Calexit
- 13. Texit
- 14. A World on Fire
- Part III. To Save America, Chart James Madison's Course
- 15. Pluralism, a Beginner's Guide
- 16. Rediscover Tolerance
- 17. Can Anyone Pass the Tolerance Test?
- 18. Can Moments of Grace Make a Movement of Grace?
- 19. To Go Forward, We Must Go Back
- 20. Immigration Breaks the Federalist "Will
- 21. Could California Health Care Reform Revive American Federalism?
- 22. Federalism Ends Where the Bill of Rights Begins
- Conclusion: A Call for Courage
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Index