The Division and Collapse of America

What happens when a country becomes too individualistic?

America was founded on a set of beliefs and principles, with personal freedoms taking centre stage. Evolving from a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps philosophy, the belief that anyone can forge their own path to success through grit and determination became written into America’s D.N.A.

This guiding belief galvanised a nation into innovation, invention and economic success. Uninhibited by a state with a laissez faire economic system, a culture emerged that fostered risk-takers and those venturing into areas unknown — elements needed for a country that would, eventually, take to the world stage as a superpower.

A society needs shared values, trust, and a sense of group identity in order to function. Without these fundamentals, it becomes fractured and divided; its citizens become distrustful, selfish, and alienated from each other; and what was once a belief in what’s good for the community becomes a belief in what’s good for the self.

There are clear advantages for a culture that believes in independence and striking out alone. But a society necessarily requires a level of interdependence, cooperation, and planning for its infrastructure and functionality.

Modern living is such that we don’t all live near a clean water supply, where we can physically source water from a natural resource. The same applies to accessing land to grow our own food. Or, we don’t possess the skills or knowledge needed in the first place.

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