Divided states of America

THE divisions that lurk in America sometimes become glaringly apparent. Mostly submerged, often papered over, they remain fissures in the great and evolving work that is the Republic of the United States.

Sometimes they are illuminated by the everyday; a trip to the baseball in the nation's capital, Washington DC, is a case in point.

On those balmy summer evenings when the smell of hot dogs and fast food, freshly cut grass and the sweaty remains of the day waft across the expectant after-work crowd, a sense of privilege emerges long before the first pitch.

It arises when the thousands of fans cram the subway trains that leave downtown on the Green Line. As the carriages draw alongside the platform at Navy Yard, a pointer to a past industrial era that is a short walk from the stadium, the crush heads to the exits.

Should the crowd cast an eye over its mostly white shoulder, it would see an example of Divided America that for visitors can be surprising, even confronting: almost exclusively, the faces remaining on the train are black.

Red alert ... As the Tea Party Express tours key campaign states, protesters turn out in Las Vegas, Nevada.

What was and still is the unifying force for 310 million Americans these days?

The Constitution of the United States!

What divides 310 million Americans these days?

Democrat-Republican false left-right paradigm partisan politics, racial divisions, hatred, indifference, etc.

Feel free to add your opinions, ATSers.

reply to post by ironfalcon


I don't think America is all that divided really. I mean the main "hot button" issues that you see dividing people on the MSM are really created by the MSM and politicians to polarize people into left and right. However, in day to day reality those divisive issues whether it be religion, abortion, gay marriage, or immigration don't come up in the day to day interactions between average citizens. The only real division in this country that the media tries to hide is the division of wealth. Something like 80% of this nations wealth is held by 1% of the population. Now that is a division we should be looking at.

You're right.

The wealth disparity is one social division that needs to be addressed if social unity and cohesion would be restored among the American people.

US Income Disparity Highest Ever

U.S. income inequality is problem, large majority says

The corporate MSM ideologically dividing the people into two 'opposing' camps is another problem that requires remedial action.

The Information Divide: The socialization of news

Overcoming the Divide and Conquer Strategy

Originally posted by ironfalcon
What was and still is the unifying force for 310 million Americans these days?
The Constitution of the United States!

If that was true I had more hope about the future of our nation, but the reality is that even when it comes to the defense of the Constitution people are divided and are easily influenced by their political views — if the party they identify themselves with is in power people tend to overlook or not care as much about possible violations of the Constitution.

Protecting and upholding the Constitution is a big concern, or alleged concern, of the Tea Party movement and candidates — which, realistically, is basically an entirely right-wing movement — but where were these people and their outrage when the Bush administration was shredding the Constitution? Certainly there were some but nowhere near the numbers we are seeing now that Obama is in office.

And the same can be said about the people on the left. Now that there’s a democrat in office the outcry from the left on possible violations of the Constitution is, to put it nicely, timid at best.

Fortunately there are still a number of people and groups — like the ACLU and the Center for Constitutional Rights — that will (try to) defend the Constitution and civil rights irrespective of who is in power. Unfortunately groups like these frequently come under attack for their invaluable work because people can’t get past their political and ideological beliefs.

reply to post by ironfalcon


It is “divided” as it should because your republic jungle will never be a united country. It didn’t start that way and it will end like it started. It’s a monster fed by a culture or war and greed, never mind your so called-precious constitution. With all your fanfares of democratic promise, there are immutable deep-rooted race war, gender war, class war, every difference seems to be used for conflict and competition; and all that wrap with the illusion of the American dream.
Conservative are jus trying to hold on to an old ideology while your liberals are just a bunch of rebels without causes. If this so called U.S.A. is not united in this twenty first century, it never will. Now go ahead and with your theories of outside force, government or media, trying to destroy America and blah blah blah.

If the people had it in them to be united in the first place, the divide paradigm wouldn’t work so well.

reply to post by ironfalcon


the reason america is divided because there are those who seek to impose labels on all of us

i am and american period

while i may be from ireland and i am irish i have lived here all my life so i am an american
while i may be a christian and does beleive in the almighty maker of all the goodness in this world i am an american
while i may be caucasian and considered white by others i am an american
while i may lean right and be called a conservative by others i a, still an a american
while i may lean right and be called republican by others i am american

the first and foremost thing i consider myself as and i consider anyone else in this country we are all americans first and for most when we consider ourselves all as one nation then we are united.

reply to post by ironfalcon


The problem is that you got the

"Democrat-Republican false left-right paradigm partisan politics, racial divisions, hatred, indifference, etc."

totally trampling all over the constitution anyway.

Here's the link to the article:

Divided States of America

The division of the US is simple, its the same technique that has been used for centuries, we just learned to improve it. There is no difference in the story, just the players have been replaced, and get replaced as needed.

One rule, one name, one color... GREEN! Always has been, always will be. So for those that want to be part of the elite game, here's a little secret that their taught in "their" schools, in their "homes", we are green, and even the "green initiative" is a way for people to think that their green. We hunger so much to play, that we even think were the right piece.

Same color different game. We fight and fight, and as long as we are doing what they want, they race to the bank, barter our labor all over the world, and trade our homes. We are to be forced to be treated as children, because thats the way we act.

When we learn to put on our big boy shoes and say NO! This is unacceptable, we will remain in the high chairs of ignorance.

It had to be said.

Peace, NRE.