Award-winning author and journalist George Packer argues in his new book, “Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal,” that an unprecedented decline in the skills of self-government and national unity are threatening the foundations of American democracy. 

“I’m less hopeful now than I was a year ago,” said Packer in his speech at Washington and Lee’s University Chapel on Feb. 3. “We’ve lost the ability to solve problems together.”

In his career of reporting for the New Yorker and Atlantic, Packer said he has repeatedly observed American democracy fail to find common ground between polarized political views, secure resources and opportunities for the most vulnerable populations, and combat a pandemic. 

To understand this division in the United States, Packer described four main political narratives: Free America, Smart America, Real America and Just America. He said these narratives represent the most common ideologies that prevail in the nation today: free-market individualism, elite professionalism, white Christian nationalism and social-justice activism, respectively. 

Packer said that these differing world views are competing in a “zero-sum game” for national influence, attacking each other as if an advantage for one side results in a loss for the other.

Packer argued that this sharp division between narratives has bred a “familiarity of contempt” in the United States in which members of opposing ideals judge each other without pausing to understand each other’s point of view, let alone consider the possible validity of each other’s argument.

He said this division is further fueled by algorithms and social media, referred to by Packer as “the harpoons in our pockets,” that allow citizens to reinforce only the narrative they wish to hear.

For Packer, one main roadblock has prevented Americans from overcoming this crisis in unity. The United States’ socioeconomic mobility has been frozen in place, crushing the notion of the American Dream. With a systemic inequality of conditions, Americans can no longer say that they are not defined by their status at birth, and individuals feel they are powerless in promoting equality or diffusing the hatred that exists between narratives.

Answering a student who asked whether the upcoming generation should pursue the individualism of upward mobility or the efforts of community building, Packer said, “I want you to realize yourselves to the fullest, and in doing so, lift up your community.” 

Unfortunately, America’s communities have not been able to rise in this way due to a presidency and pandemic that worsened the already detrimental disconnect between American narratives, he said. To escape the negative effects of division, Packer argued that Americans need to reestablish a basic agreement of facts, find a shared reality, acknowledge that racial hatreds are out of democratic bounds, and respect the basic norms of government. 

For Packer, journalism and education can provide the necessary opportunities for improvement and renew the foundations of American democracy.

He said journalism is crucial in the revival of democracy as it provides the information and platform necessary to generate understanding and spark civil conversation. Packer said he knows good journalists are able to bring to stories an “undeniably human” aspect that is immeasurably helpful in presenting other points of view and bridging the gap between citizens of different narratives.

Journalism Professor Dayo Abah said she agreed with this sentiment.

“The way forward is to educate yourself rather than judge other people,” Dayo said. “Even if you can’t walk in their shoes, at least make sure that you look at their shoes.”

Packer also stated that education is key to providing everyone with the tools to find solutions to problems. If citizens can relearn the skills of self-government, it is possible to rebuild the foundations of American democracy, he said.

“Schools need to teach not what, but how to think,” said Packer.

President William Dudley said he agreed, commenting that Washington & Lee has a “long-standing, robust tradition” of providing opportunities to practice civil discourse and global citizenry.

With these strategies for change, Packer called for the start of  “Equal America,” an alternative to the four divided narratives that could once again allow citizens to solve problems together. 

Award-winning author and journalist, George Packer, argues in his new book, “Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal,” that an unprecedented decline in the skills of self-government and national unity are threatening the foundations of American democracy. 

Packer’s political outlook was pessimistic as he spoke in Washington & Lee’s University Chapel on Feb. 3.  

“I’m less hopeful now than I was a year ago,” said Packer. “We’ve lost the ability to solve problems together.”

In his career of reporting for the New Yorker and Atlantic, Packer has repeatedly observed American democracy fail to find common ground between polarized political views, secure resources and opportunities for the most vulnerable populations, and combat a pandemic. As he spoke to the Washington & Lee community, he aimed to explain the origins of this crisis and the strategies available to reestablish a unified nation.

Packer said that, due to the extreme division that separates people of varying beliefs, the democratic “habits of the heart” that once defined the American citizen are no longer followed. 

Without the skills of self-government, such as gathering accurate information, discussing differences, offering solutions to problems, and understanding others’ points of view, citizens today have no tools to search for, or agree upon, solutions to problems.

To understand this division in the United States, Packer described four main political narratives: Free America, Smart America, Real America and Just America. He said these narratives represent the most common ideologies that prevail in the nation today: free-market individualism, elite professionalism, white Christian nationalism and social-justice activism, respectively. 

Packer said that these differing world views are competing in a “zero-sum game” for national influence, attacking each other as if an advantage for one side results in a loss for the other.

Packer argued that this sharp division between narratives has bred a “familiarity of contempt” in the United States in which members of opposing ideals judge each other without pausing to understand each other’s point of view, let alone consider the possible validity of each other’s argument.

This division is further fueled by algorithms and social media, referred to by Packer as “the harpoons in our pockets,” that allow citizens to reinforce only the narrative they wish to hear.

For Packer, one main roadblock has prevented Americans from overcoming this crisis in unity. The United States’ socioeconomic mobility has been frozen in place, crushing the notion of the American Dream. With a systemic inequality of conditions, Americans can no longer say that they are not defined by their status at birth, and individuals feel they are powerless in promoting equality or diffusing the hatred that exists between narratives.

Answering a student who asked whether the upcoming generation should pursue the individualism of upward mobility or the efforts of community building, Packer said, “I want you to realize yourselves to the fullest, and in doing so, lift up your community.” 

Unfortunately, he said, America’s communities have not been able to rise in this way due to a presidency and pandemic that worsened the already detrimental disconnect between American narratives. To escape the negative effects of division, Packer argued that Americans need to reestablish a basic agreement of facts, find a shared reality, acknowledge that racial hatreds are out of democratic bounds, and respect the basic norms of government. 

For Packer, journalism and education can provide the necessary opportunities for improvement and renew the foundations of American democracy.

He said journalism is crucial in the revival of democracy as it provides the information and platform necessary to generate understanding and spark civil conversation. Packer knows good journalists are able to bring to stories an “undeniably human” aspect that is immeasurably helpful in presenting other points of view and bridging the gap between citizens of different narratives.

Journalism Professor Dayo Abah agreed with this sentiment, “The way forward is to educate yourself rather than judge other people … Even if you can’t walk in their shoes, at least make sure that you look in their shoes!”

Packer also stated that education is key to providing everyone with the tools to find solutions to problems. If citizens can relearn the skills of self-government, it is possible to rebuild the foundations of American democracy.

“Schools need to teach not what, but how to think,” said Packer.

President William Dudley agreed, commenting that Washington & Lee has a “long-standing, robust tradition” of providing opportunities to practice civil discourse and global citizenry.

With these strategies for change, Packer called for the start of  “Equal America,” an alternative to the four divided narratives that could once again allow citizens to solve problems together.