Thought of the day: The new Cold War? Between World War II and the Soviet Union's collapse, we anchored our identity in emnity--of the Soviet Union, of Communism, of oppressive government. Our noble opposition of these, in practice and spirit, defined us as Americans, we thought. We were Us because we weren't Them. Such a black-and-white worldview was functional, was patriotic, was vaguely reassuring. The post-Cold War 90s were disorienting by comparison, and patriotism was rudderless. But is a polarizing worldview now beginning to return? Is al Qaeda--whoever, whatever, and however big it is--our new foil for righteousness? And does the spy-drama-loving media egg us on? Michael Wolff fleshes this out in a brilliant piece in New York Magazine:
http://www.newyorkmag.com/page.cfm?page_id=6191