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From left to right, politics in the U.S. is inundated with shamelessness and chaos. In turn, journalists have had to adapt how they cover government. Given the tumultuous state of American politics, the shared consensus among reporters is that prior required knowledge of history and sociology is no longer enough to do their jobs. Now, they also need to be adept in psychology. They're not wrong. The United States is anything but united. Rich versus poor, Black versus White Americans, Republicans versus Democrats, immigrants versus natives are perpetually pitted against one another. Even the cable news networks, from FOX to MSNBC, who feed Americans their daily headlines, divide us across ideological lines. This depressing truth extends overseas and can be seen in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and the crisis in North Korea. In Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal, political journalist and novelist George Packer attempts to bridge the divide by analyzing the modern condition of our country, explains our fall into chaos and fragmentation, and offers solutions for recovery.
This pithy book not only promises but delivers on its title. Packer deftly explains dismal splits by linking what is happening presently to historical examples, such as the Civil War, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and more. By personalizing his story, he humanizes his account of turning points in U.S. history: Recalling the 2016 election, he describes the shock and dread he experienced upon discovering that his rural neighbors support Trump. Following this, by critically detailing the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of U.S. leadership during and following the international crisis, Packard attempts to understand the incomprehensible: how we manage to put ourselves in the hands of such incompetent leaders and find ourselves at extreme odds with each other. He takes a hard, deft look at American history and present-day life