There's not a lot that unites Americans anymore, with too many people more aligned with their political tribes than with their shared nationality. But one thing that just about all of us like to do is bitch about people who hold government office. We don't bitch about the same lawmakers and officials, but we have that resentment of those who wield coercive power and the vitriol we direct at them in common. If nothing else ties us together as Americans, our eagerness to criticize the powers that be may stand as a final connection.
Not Even the Flag Holds Us Together
Even on Independence Day, not even the American flag necessarily speaks for our common citizenship.
