A dinner at Dave’s was and is a lively experience. Few in the family were cast in the same political mold. And the discussions about the consequences of the Iraq war seemed to never end. But one thing was clear: They disagreed but were not enemies.
The Iraq War had driven a wedge through large sections of the American population. The hunt for weapons of mass destruction was fruitless and the president’s confidence ratings dropped like a rock. At the same time, the world turned against the United States. Everything that unfolded was described as a national crisis and a polarization of the nation that is so proud of its flag and its troops.
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US political violence nothing new
George W Bush was met by a thrown shoe in Iraq in 2008 and several serious threats against the President were also thwarted. The political violence is nothing new in the USA, rather a reminder of what history has brought with it and a result of an almost unlimited access to weapons.
The substantive issues that are debated today are in many cases the same as then: migration, gun laws and American healthcare. But your political choice is now not just a personal thing, which determines the party color on a ballot paper. Politics now also affects your interactions and your choices in society: where you live, which schools your children should choose and which sports the family engages in.
The enormous responsibility of Trump and Biden
In the spring, a survey by Ipsos showed that more than 80 percent of those questioned describe the United States as a divided nation and about half the population sees a civil war as a likely scenario. Scary numbers and a picture of a society where left and right sympathizers are moving further and further apart. And the capital of violence exists in both camps.
An enormous responsibility rests on Donald Trump and President Biden during the continuing election campaign. The nation is boiling and the politicians must convince their supporters to come to their senses.
The family dinners at Dave’s have also changed for those who are now invited. The political discussions have been banned.