And a national PTSD was a big turning point.

Or possibly JFK’s assassination.

And yes, definitely the 2000 election. Nixon and GWB really paved the way for today's cabal.

when they let conservative hacks on the Supreme Court literally choose the president, that should have resonated way more with the American people than it did at the time

only NOW are people starting to get what the ultimate GOAL was

Confederate leaders and those that bankrolled the Confederacy should have been either executed or spent the rest of their lives in prison.

Additionally, the States of the Confederacy should never have been let right back into the Union. They should have been Federal Territories until such time as the underlying culture that produced the Confederacy was expunged from America.

We didn't finish the job.

There were the radical Republicans, but they never had a majority. The South was soundly defeated, but to really do what needed to be done with land re-distribution and possible financial compensation for former slaves, it would have taken a lot more resources and people than the North had. You're right, the job wasn't finished, but I don't blame them too much for it.

...to make personal consequences clear. After all, rope is re-usable.

I'm very much anti DP these days, but when -as you point out- the resources aren't present to do the job properly and humanely, the job must be done still.

Jeff Davis and the Confederate generals live. I remember some of them went to prison, but I think Davis was only in prison for a couple of years. Understand, I was a Southern kid, and had already been taught (ahem) a lot about the Civil War. But I thought it was crazy that with all the misery those men caused, they didn't forfeit their lives like a person who killed two people would. But that's the kind of question you wrestle with your whole life.

When did it all go right – slavery, civil war, the genocide of native peoples, Jim Crow, black codes, segregation – America didn’t become a true democracy until 1965; the Warren Court began a hopeful process of America moving toward its promise of greatness.

But 50 years later the Voting Rights Act is gutted as the Roberts Court dismantles decades of hard fought for protections of Americans’ rights and protected liberties, the consequence of democracy having gone wrong and failed, the people solely responsible for the bad government they get.

that it changed everything that this country once stood for. Now everything is driven by profits and bottom lines, not decency and fairness.

They caused the big divide which endures.

A nation poisoned by racism is corrupt in the inside.

Rupert Murdoch, someone who had zero loyalty to the U.S., was allowed to own a major network and hire Roger Ailes to run it.

So you've met extreme pacifists on the left? Militant pacifists? Did they pummel you with large fluffy pillows?

Extremists on the left? What does that even mean?

October 7, 1996, The Fox News Channel was founded.

The NRA, flush with cash, started primary opponents to any lawmaker that voted against guns in any context. Dark money flourished from that success.

(See below since I had to moderate my high-and-mighty stance a bit)

Author's not wrong, but physician, heal thyself! Ten years ago when a majority proportion of American voters were presenting their racist and/or uninformed bona fides, a majority proportion of UK voters chose to screw with their economy with a kneejerk impulse to soothe their frustrations with Brexit. They're on their sixth PM since then. And that dude is on his way out.

But I get it. When you're the biggest, you're ironically under the proverbial microscope.

On edit, I see Stephen Marche is Canadian. So nothing against him. But he should still do the UK if he already hasn't .

Are you not entertained?