George Packer

Americans have a short collective memory when it comes to political upheaval. It's one thing to learn about and study cultural disruptions from a historical point of view. In something else entirely to have lived through them. In Last Best Hope George Packer is writing from within one of those moments of disruptive change It's the same moment I'm living through right now, circa the third decade of the 21st century. We're still too close to current events to fully appreciate the long view, but history shows us that these events are inevitable from time to time. But at the same time, we've never been at *this* particular moment in time, with all its digital and global influences, so trying to forecast the outcome is nearly impossible.

America is going through a crisis. The whole world is by a similar measure if we're being honestly inclusive. This is a topic I've been fascinated about since before Donald Trump entered the international stage. The rise of Trump told me there were factors in play that I didn't understand. And then COVID-19 hit and accelerated ALL problems, possibly bringing them to a head far sooner than they otherwise would have. To say we live in interesting times would be a massive understatement.

George Packer's Last Best Hope is an stunning look back at the core principles of America and democracy in an effort to see past, and maybe resolve, the country's current political and cultural divides. A brighter tomorrow isn't inevitable, but it certainly isn't impossible.… (mere)