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Formany years, Donald Trump tweeted Sunday afternoon, our country has been divided, angry and untrusting. Many say it will never change, the hatred is too deep. IT WILL CHANGE!!!!

As persuasive as the ALL CAPS are, I have my doubts.

Put aside Trumps specific shortcomings for the moment. The presidency has become ill-suited to the task of unifying the country, because the presidency has become the biggest prize and totem in the culture war. Like the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants in England, if one side controls the throne, it is seen as an insult and threat to the other. And whoever holds the throne is seen as a kind of personal Protector of the Realm.

The political parties have been utterly complicit in the process. Exploiting social media and other technologies, Republicans and Democrats shape their messages around the assumption that they and they alone have legitimate ownership of Americas authentic best self. Thats why whichever party is out of power promises to take back America as if the other side were foreign invaders.

Barack Obama was elected in 2008 in no small part to fulfill the promise of his 2004 Democratic Convention keynote address: to banish the slicing and dicing of America into Red States and Blue States.

The colors of the electoral map may have been smudged and scrambled over the last eight years, but the underlying polarization Obama inherited from George W. Bush only intensified on his watch. Trump will be the third president in a row to promise to unite the country, and he will almost certainly be the third in a row to fail.

The ugly squabble between the president-elect and Representative John Lewis (D., Ga.) over the weekend offers a glimpse into how bad things will get.

Lewis earned his icon status on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday in Selma, Ala. But over the years, hes traded some of his moral capital for partisan chips, insinuating that only the Democratic party has ownership of the civil-rights era and its victories, despite the fact that a higher share of Republicans voted for the Civil Rights Act than Democrats. Indeed, the goons who cracked Lewiss skull on the Edmund Pettus Bridge were acting at the behest of a Democratic governor and Democratic local officials. Even the bridge was named after a Democrat.

In 2008, Lewis saw nothing wrong with comparing Senator John McCain (R., Ariz.) to the segregationist Alabama governor George Wallace, adding: Senator McCain and Governor Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division. He did it again in 2012, insinuating that voting for Mitt Romney might lead America to go back to the days of fire hoses, police dogs, and church bombings.

This was not idealism, but poisonous cynicism, and it helped contribute to the feelings of resentment that were so essential to Trumps victory. Now, Lewis is going further still, refusing to attend Trumps inauguration and arguing that Trump cannot be a legitimate president because of Russian meddling in the election. Lewis may have reason to believe that Trump did not win fair and square, but questioning Trumps legitimacy is exactly what the Russians probably wanted from the beginning: to undermine Western and American faith and confidence in democracy. (Its a sign of Lewiss partisanship that he also boycotted George W. Bushs first inauguration because he didnt think Bush was legitimate either.)

Of course, Trump made things worse. He attacked Lewis, saying the congressman should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S. instead of falsely complaining about the election results. Predictably, Democrats rallied behind Lewis, whos basically the partys living saint, and theyre already fundraising off the spectacle.

The Democrats will stop baiting Trump when he shows he can refuse the bait. Which means they wont stop.

Theres an almost literary quality to Trumps insecurities; he craves respect more than almost anything else, and yet respect remains agonizingly elusive in part because he takes everything too personally.

The presidency, normally a job for people with thick skins and a nose for insincere flattery, promises to only heighten Trumps sense of entitlement to respect and exacerbate his inevitable resentment when he doesnt receive it. So well continue on divided, angry, and untrusting.

Jonah Goldberg is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review. 2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

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Donald Trump & John Lewis: Culture Wars Deepen Party ...

Good morning, readers! Were enjoying an assortment of eclectic longreads today for a variety of tastes, from the frontiers of medicine to sexual harassment scandals in USA gymnastics. As always, were curious to know what youre reading, so drop us a line in the comments!

If you havent already,subscribe to the Global Commentpodcast on iTunes and Soundcloudand catch up on the first episode, a fascinating interview with Omar Saif Ghobash.

Some of the most amazing leaps and bounds were making in modern science involve going backwardslike really backwards, as in, delving into sewers for ancient, yet cutting edge, treatments for severe infections. This is an outstanding read.

But while the scientists in Paris celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of phages, these biological weapons are nearly impossible to get to patients in the US. Using natures own viruses to treat infections doesnt jive with the FDAs process for approving new pharmaceuticals, nor Big Pharmas motive to sell one-size-fits-all pills for the masses.

The editors at Catapult excel when it comes to finding, and perfecting, thoughtful essays that may read like a stream of consciousness ramble until suddenly all the pieces fall together, click, revealing something elegant and beautiful and complex. This is no exception.

I move. The front of my new house is also brick, but it is real brick. This house was once a mansion on top of a hill where white people forced black people to perform the tasks of their bondage. Our neighborhood is named after this house. The old front of the house has columns and faces what is now our backyard. In the backyard is a church which chimes every hour from eight in the morning to eight at night. At noon and six, it is fancier, a song. The floors are painted green and none of the outlets have three prongs.

When your father has spent most of your life in prison, how do you reconnect? This is a complex reflection on family, culture shock, and how we interact with each other in era heavily mediated by technology and distance.

Id seen my dad approximately four times over 30 years, but I only remembered two of them: a visit when I was 12 years old, and one when I was 25. When I thought of visiting my father, I pictured the beige rooms, the beige uniforms, and how everything seemed to be nailed down. I always brought bags of change to use at the vending machines. I knew he had a sweet tooth, and I wanted to buy him something sweet. He always got reprimanded by guards for holding my hands too long.

Israel needs caregivers. People in the Philippines are looking for new opportunities. Is it an ideal match, or does it come at a dark price thats only visible after commitments are finalised?

The most pressing need for workers is in the caregiving profession. In 2009, there were fewer than 250,000 Israelis over the age of 80; by 2059, there will be well over a million, according to one population projection by the Central Bureau of Statistics. Added to that is a serious shortage of working hands: In the 1990s, the ranks of the caregiving sector in Israel were occupied primarily by female immigrants from the former Soviet Union. But that population is now largely retired, leaving a major vacuum.

USA Gymnastics has been rocked by a series of sexual harassment and assault scandals in recent years. Its also been making headlines for training incredible athletes who are sweeping international competitions. Can the two be separated?

If the press had been expecting to find the women merely happy to receive Olympic recognition, they were sorely mistaken. As she had a decade before, Dantzscher spoke up about their difficult Olympic experiences. Others, though, like 2000 national champion Elise Ray, spoke up about how they felt about how difficult and traumatic those experiences had been.

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Must reads: Gymnastics, phages, culture wars, labour, life after prison - GlobalComment.com

Malaysia is fast-becoming ground zero of a global Culture War, as conflicting visions of society struggle for dominance.

Broadly speaking, there are two main forces at work: on the one hand there is a more western-inclined, common-law based outlook. This has been shaped by the country's strategic location at the heart of one of Asia's busiest trading routes, its rich history and the various communities that have settled here.

On the other, there is a purist approach that prioritizes Islamic traditions.

As a writer and onetime lawyer, I very clearly belong to the first category.

However, there's no doubt that that the second is gathering in strength.

For many years, I've avoided much interaction with the other side, if only because the different world views seem so intractable.

Still, with a sense of wanting to understand the conservative community better, I arranged to meet with a charming, newlywed Malay couple, Afiq and Muna, both in their mid-twenties and graduates from the International Islamic University on the eastern fringes of Kuala Lumpur.

With their loose-fitting, modest attire (Muna wears a hijab that reaches down to her waist), they look like quintessentially pious Muslims.

Whilst their attire may distinguish them from other young people, they share many of the same challenges: they are struggling with the high cost of living and prohibitive property prices.

Both also recognized that their lives won't be as prosperous as their parents, which in turn fuels their anger and disdain for Prime Minister Najib Razak and his government.

On a more personal note, I liked the way Afiq encouraged Muna, a trainee lawyer to state her views.

Indeed, as we talked, I was struck by Muna's lovely smile and her calm, authoritative manner.

Currently a chambering student, her legal education she has studied both the Shariah and Civil legal systems has imbued her with an enviable directness.

Afiq's (hes a Shariah compliance officer at a pharmaceutical company) arguments are less so.

Muna is particularly impassioned about a controversial bill to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (i.e. the RUU 355) championed by the Islamist PAS party with the Government's tacit approval.

While it may seem arcane and irrelevant, the Bill has become a lightning rod for criticism.

Why?

Well, essentially, it seeks to enhance the sentencing powers of Malaysias Shariah courts.

For Malaysia's large non-Muslim population as well as the more progressive elements in the Malay community, this move is viewed as an attempt to introduce hard-line hudud law.

Unsurprisingly, Muna views things differently. For her, the two parallel legal systems are supposed to be equal.

However, it's clear that the Shariah system has lesser powers and she regards this as an injustice.

She talks about how the Shariah system was in existence before the arrival of the Europeans.

To Muna, the seeming subordinate status makes her feel as if our identity as a society that holds true to Islamic values and laws are being slowly eroded."

Afiq is particularly concerned about the failure to deal with pre-marital sex and drinking.

As he explains: "Islam is not just a private and personal relationship between man and God, but it also governs the relationships between men. There are certain acts that are sinful in Islam and I believe that adequate punishments should be meted outEven though these acts only involve the person and God, I believe laws should be made to curb these problems.

Inevitably, we touched on politics and how the controversy would shape the upcoming General Elections Malaysia's 14th since Independence. Since both were PAS members, the discussion was quite heated.

As I questioned the tactical wisdom of pushing the Bill so aggressively and its potential impact on PAS' electoral fortunes, Muna interrupted me: "Pak Karim, PAS is not simply a political party. We are also a movement that seeks to change the society. There are two elements that continue alongside the politics: 'tarbiyyah' (education) and 'dakwah' (out-reach). Our aim is to create a truly Islamic society that embraces the tenets of the Quran."

She also added quite firmly: "Don't forget that most UMNO members share our views on Islam and the need to raise our respect for our faith. Their leaders are a different matter."

Determined and forthright, Muna rebutted my questions at every step, making me realize the enormity of the Culture Wars still ahead.

Whilst I remain a committed advocate of the existing common law system which I feel possesses a unique ability to balance the rights and interests of the different Malaysian communities, I fear that those tasked to deal with the Muna's and the Afiq's of today may lack the passion and drive.

Being secular and liberal has never felt so lonely.

Disclaimer: The views in this blog are those of the blogger and do not necessarily reflect the views of ABS-CBN Corp.

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Final 'Culture Wars': Afiq and Muna | ABS-CBN News - ABS-CBN News (blog)

Donald Trump understands something very important about American democracy: We dont debate public policy, we fumble our way toward a shared political culture. So if you want to control the debate over how to build a health care system, you first have to capture our politicalculture-- our values, norms, shared assumptions, what we feel and believe about ourselves. Trump gets that. So he's waging a culture war, tweet by tweet.

But the battle to capture Americas political culture has a long history. On race and gender, science and religion, matters of sex and media and war and peace all of it there's a backstory, starring somebody like Donald Trump. Somebody who wentall into change what Americans feel and believe about a given issue. So over the next several weeks, we're going to meet some of those people and tell the stories that brought us to this juncture in our political culture.

The United States of Anxiety: Culture Warsintroduces listeners to people who have been battling to shape Americas political culture for decades. We profile culture warriors, past and present, who have shaped debates over race, religion, science, sexuality, gender and more. We connect those debates to real people, with real stakes in the outcome. Were filling in the blanks--hopefully answering questions you didnt even know you had--and were asking, what are you willing to fight for? Because if you want to control American politics, youve first got to capture American culture.

Beginning May 9, join us inThe United States of Anxiety: Culture Wars.

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Host: Kai Wright Produced by: WNYC - KNPR

If theres one lesson to be learned from the sidewalk confrontation between a Downingtown Area School District administrator and a teen anti-abortion protester on the sidewalk outside a local high school, its this:

The uncivil war raging in American society right now is taking its toll on all of us, and its victims include our children.

Last week Zachary Ruff, the STEM Academy dean of academics and student life, was put on administrative leave by the Downingtown School District after a heated exchange on April 21 with a pair of protesters, a brother and sister. One of the siblings filmed the exchange and posted it online.

Few have defended Ruffs behavior as documented in the video, though many have commented that they believe he was defending his students. He is, after all, an adult who was talking to two children. His epic rant included the use of profanity, mocking the protesters beliefs, singing loudly, and even apparently dancing. On the other hand, the protesters (who told several media outlets they had come to Downingtown because of a Holocaust symposium at West High School), in filming the episode, clearly hoped to milk any dramatic moments for future use.

In a statement shared with district parents and posted online, outgoing Superintendent Lawrence Mussoline condemned Ruffs outburst in no uncertain terms and announced that the district was beginning an investigation.

Local television stations have featured the debacle, as have anti-abortionmedia outlets eager to draw attention to their cause. Two pro-life teenagers just had a pretty amazingencounter with the forces of tolerance, snarked Fox anchor Tucker Carlson, before airing an interview with the home-schooled videographers.

Many parents and students in the approximately 12, 000-student district have rallied to support Ruff. By midday Tuesday a petition begun last week by STEM students had garnered more than 35,000 signatures (though many signees were from outside the area). Students are reportedly preparing statements in support of Ruff for the school board meeting on May 3.

Dorothy Kirk is a parent at STEM my son graduated from the school last year. Kirk hopes Ruffs longandfavorablehistory with the district will outweigh hisbrief regrettable sidewalk outburst as he tried to help students and parentssafelyexit onto the busy street that runs by the school.

Dr. Ruffs a good man, said Kirk. Hes devoted tohisstudents, well-liked, and well-respected in the community.It wasnt like him to lose his composure. We live in a social media society where individuals are not allowed to make a mistake even once for a few minutes a singular worst moment can be captured on video and forever posted online.

For many, this hideously pitch-perfect cage match undoubtedly confirms their worst stereotypes about the blind zealotry of the religious right, and the intolerance of the secular left.

One doesnt have to watch the entire 18-minute video to be profoundly disheartened about the political and cultural moment in which we find ourselves.

When the teens begin to talk about the holocaust of abortion, Ruff fires back, Theyre cells, adding that STEM is a science-based school. Jesus Christ will set you free from your sins says protester Conner Haines. Its a public school, we dont believe in that here, responds Ruff.

Polls taken by Gallup and others suggest that Americans are closely divided between those who identify between as pro-choice and pro-life, but that most the public remains reluctant to impose their personal views on fellow citizens.

We often dont know what we think. Were conflicted.Life is messy. While some of us may believe sincerely that fetuses are merely clumps of cells, and others are sure that you must repent and believe in Jesus to be saved, a lot of us arent so sure. In a society in which the extremes set a low bar for public discourse, many of us either find our voices drowned out or are forced to man the barricades for positions we secretly doubt we can wholeheartedly endorse.

Ryan Zindel, a senior at STEM, says he has loved the smaller and more collaborative environment at his school, which has been rated the top-ranked school in the state several times. But, he adds, his conservative views arent always welcome in the classroom. A couple of other kids had the same ideas that I did, and some kids chose not to engage at all, he said.

I think people are very divided right now Zindel adds. A lot of it comes from there being no discussion between opposite sides of the political spectrum. Were so divided that there is no consensus.

Hopefully, he says, this controversy will be used as a learning experience, adding, You cant just tell people that their beliefs are wrong.

While some will characterize the episode as one pitting a beloved (though intemperate) administrator against anti-abortion interlopers, I think we need to look deeper to find solutions.

Local educators may need some basic training in how to cope with protests, which have occurred in other school districts around the country without sparking a potentially career-ending crisis. But appropriate behavior isnt just the province of teachers and administrators. Whatever our beliefs,all of us are being challenged tofigure out where we can stand together. Sometimes thats as simple as admitting that we need one another to succeed.

The culture wars,likely to intensifyin this tumultuous political environment, haveerupted in Downingtown. In this conflicted moment, we can only hope that we will find the strength and true tolerance to buildon our heritage and create anewa community story, however broad, that includes us all.

Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans is a writer in Downingtown.bellettrelliz@gmail.com

Published: May 3, 2017 3:01 AM EDT | Updated: May 3, 2017 10:44 AM EDT

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