I do think we are in a moment of social upheaval and splintering (which started long before the pandemic). It's always been a bit of a fiction to say that there was anything in the US that people from all classes and backgrounds shared - but the divergences have only grown sharper and we have not even begun to grapple with it. If anything, I feel like it's common to reject the conversation entirely as representing an effort at some kind of political signal (which it certainly is sometimes!).

Personally I suspect that no one has answers and what we are left with is trying to talk about how we feel and see how others feel - a social activity that I've found US culture to be particularly bad at. People want bold, holistic theses about what "should" be - not uncertain vulnerable discussions about where we are. I hope, for all our sakes, that we can find a healthier way to talk about and envision new kinds of community.

Edit: fixed some spelling errors.