Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Moe Strausberg's avatar

Last night my wife and I watched Thomas Frank 2017 lecture at the Kansas City Public library. My wife is also a Chicago grad and loves America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPYlE72OzZA

I am autistic but I am not crazy.

The USA, Russia and China are not our friends. The most successful countries on this planet are Canada and Finland and what they have in common is a need to get along with their power insane and raucous neighbour.

America does not work I doubt it can ever work but here in Quebec,Canada does work and works very well. Our most right wing and our most left wing provinces work well inside our 21st century constitution. There is no way that Texas, California, Oklahoma or New York could be granted the constitutional powers of Ontario, Quebec , Alberta and British Columbia that would see America survive.

America is about a constant struggle for power and the people always lose. The history Thomas Frank tells me is the same history I learned at school but the one thing Chicago teaches well is giving reasoned argument even if the premise belongs in another universe.

While Thomas Frank and my wife try to figure out how to fix America I must wonder about how to make America disappear without too much damage.

Leonard Cohen said it best in a line from Democracy.

"I love the country but I can't stand the scene"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDi2mJcByns

Expand full comment
5 more comments...

No posts