"This argument over Thanksgiving strikes me as a symptom of our failure to acknowledge that the American story is not all one thing or all another.
It is, instead, a tale of a healthy and ongoing tension between our love of individualism and our reverence for community. Capitalism is part of our story, but so is solidarity and the idea that no one ever really 'goes it alone.' Our rights are embedded in a web of social bonds and obligations that enrich us. We have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and our families, but also to look out for one another. And we hope that if we run into trouble, someone, maybe even the entire community, will look out for us."
So... what to blog about on Thanksgiving? I like E. J. Dionne. He's always a clear and patient voice of moderate liberalism. His view that the American experience is not all one thing or the other seems wishy washy when contrasted to the political minefield he navigates on a daily basis. This time it's a good thing to hear that right and left are both necessary to the success of America and those who stubbornly insist on one way or the other are wrong.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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