Once upon a time, not that long ago, the political divide in America was Liberal vs Conservative, Socialism vs Capitalism, Big Government vs Limited Government. Oh, such a golden age of political disagreement - Those quaint divisions have faded into the mists of the memories of old folks still trying to see the world through obsolete perspectives.
The real chasm now, it seems to me, is between those, like MAGA "Republicans", who see the world as divided between order fighting against chaos - and they choose order - the strong, patriarchal "strong man" Stern Father Figure - discipline, police, laws that outlaw chaos and especially laws that outlaw what they see as debauchery and licentiousness. They are terrified of sexuality, the sexual freedoms of the Womens' Movement, the Gay Movement. They can't stand homosexuality, transgender, abortion, birth control, pornography. And they believe only white Christian men should have votes that count - and do all they can to limit voting by "inferior" races and "inferior" genders. They are driven to a form of madness when they see any kind of human being that doesn't fit their image of Real Manhood (John Wayne and Clint Eastwood cowboys, Mafioso Dons, old time football violence, cage fighters, etc...). To them it is time to put Real Men back in charge of this world, just like it Used To Be (hahahahaha). They want Authoritarian Control to stamp out personal freedoms that they see as nothing but chaos and sin. That is, undo the last half century of hard-fought personal freedoms. Sigh.
On the opposite side are those like myself who see America as divided between personal freedom fighting against dictatorial control of any lives that are different from some imaginary way of "virtuous" and ”manly” and "biblical" living. So, any deviation from the top-down domineering white supremacist "Righteous" Christian man, who makes all the rules, and who will use any excuse to crush the personal freedoms of women, of gays, of sexuality, of religious freedoms, of any personal choices that frighten the white male Christian hierarchy. These freedoms are too precious and fought too hard to abandon.
The Red Tribe wants the authoritarian Strong Daddy iron fisted, punishing rule. Crush the satanic immorality of the last half century.
The Blue Tribe want the personal freedom to choose the living of the lives of their own choices and decisions - get the damned theocratic government out of our bedrooms and out of our voting booths.
As a sidebar, perhaps just as important, the Blue Tribe is deeply dedicated to meeting the challenges of dealing with Climate Change and Global Warming vs the Red Tribe wanting to pretend that what was OK half a century ago and a century ago is just fine today as well, just let the Real Men do whatever the hell they want.
The world, as Dylan wrote half a century ago, is a changin' and one side is trying to stop it - a doomed attempt, but a dangerous one.
