The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the United States in a way that leaves US citizens wondering how this great nation could be affected so severely. On top of facing a pandemic, US citizens have been met with increasing polarization both in the media and in politics, leading to mass confusion and ignorance — how are we to solve a problem we can’t fully understand?
Increasing political polarization, rioting, and socialist ideals are becoming the norm for American society, but is this really what we want? While the ideals of socialism can sound appealing to younger generations, it is important to understand socialism in practice and its real-life blowback by studying examples of socialism in other countries.
Is selfishness prioritizing the individual the root cause of the United States’ current divide? Is lack of belief in social equality holding the US back? Whether these traits can be entirely blamed for our current political climate or not, it can be argued a nation needs a mix of collectivist and individualistic ideals to achieve both social equality and freedom for all.
It has been known victims of extreme physical, emotional, or sexual abuse grow up to take on the role of abuser — can this psychological cycle be applied to the United States’ turmoil? Both US political parties have become increasingly polarized, to the point at which there is no bridging the gap. How are we to stop this cycle of chaos if communication is off-limits?
Whatever side of the political spectrum one falls on, we can all commonly agree that it’s problematic when a child is indoctrinated into the ‘wrong’ thought patterns, that they have been turned from the truth of the world. But, can we as a society, collectively come to a consensus regarding a few basic truths? There are commonalities that run through us all, uniting us as the human race — so why can’t we see them? Is living in peace with one another an unrealistic dream? If we are united by our need to stand up for what we believe to be true, can we ever see eye-to-eye if our beliefs never align?
