A revolutionary national narrative

A post-left perspective on the US ideological divide

     National unity of purpose cannot be imposed.  It must be established on a basis of the voluntary participation of citizens, who freely embrace a national narrative that is affirmed by a strong majority. 

      For a multicultural society, such a national consensus is especially difficult to attain.  The USA, in its first nearly two hundred years, could forge a national consensus as though it were a nation of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, even though it was a multicultural nation, because of the demographic and political dominance WASPs.  But in recent decades, political and demographic realities have changed, such that no one ethnic group is in a position to expect other groups to accept its particular version of the national story. 

      In spite of the challenge, the forging of a national narrative must be accomplished, because a national narrative is the foundation to the consensual participation of citizens in the political process.  And a consensual narrative is the basis fo…