The culture war really is a product of the 1960’s. There was hope that the election of Barack Obama, who came of age after the sixties and had no culture war history, would effectively put an end to that stage of American history. In addition, most of the indicators of social ills that are tied to cultural issues (violent crime, abortion, drug use, divorce rates, etc.) have actually improved over the last twenty years or so. At first glance, therefore, you would suspect that tensions would have eased. In fact, they’re worse than ever. Why?
Several reasons:
- Millennials, for a variety of reasons, are not embracing Christianity. Christians no longer see themselves as the “Moral Majority,” and they feel threatened.
- Fox News beats the culture war drum 24/7.
- The election of an African-American president with a Muslim-sounding name resulted in a backlash which combined both racial and cultural elements in an ugly stew. Periodic stories discussing a minority-majority America in the near future don’t help, as white America associates racial diversity with political correctness and attacks on its values.
- The gay marriage decision and, to some extent, gay triumphalism.
- Social media amplify the voices of extremists on both sides.
Cultural issues, even more than economic issues, are tearing our country apart. What is the best way to deal with them? As I’ve noted several times in the recent past, the best approach is strategic patience and understanding on the part of the left.