rural and urban divide

The Second American Civil War has a geographical dividing line rather different than the first Civil War did. The Mason-Dixon Line was a figurative reference for a long geographical border separating the Slave States from the Union States (a.k.a. “Free States” even though they were not exactly free). The boundary is show on maps and is easy to find. It is essentially a line running east-west across most of the territory now occupied by the Lower 48 US states. But the geographical divisions for this new war should be all circles, drawn around most of our large cities.

Attorney General William “Bill” Barr has shown himself to be one of President Trump’s very best picks through the course of his first Presidential term of office. This very measured, very calm man has a gift of making legal sense out of chaotic and otherwise very passion-filled situations. It is certainly the truth that presently in the United States there are many highly passion-filled situations taking place simultaneously, and in fact, these are intertwined.

It is easy to report on the United States “from the outside”, by scanning the discussion from the major media outlets. It is a different matter to describe what is actually going on from the point of view of “ordinary Americans.” To do that, one has to be in the country talking and listening to people.