The book “Where Are We Going?” by author Bruce Brodie tackles the existential struggle our nation is facing between democracy and autocracy. In this struggle, America’s growing inequalities in income and wealth and persistent racial inequities have divided our country, polarized our politics, and unleashed our tribal instincts. Our evolved human nature has given us a hybrid genotype, and we are all partly selfish and partly altruistic, partly hierarchical/authoritarian and partly egalitarian, and we are all tribal. But is our hybrid human nature compatible with egalitarian democracy?
In the book, Brodie argues that we must change our cultural environment if we are to suppress our tribal instincts, bring out the better angels of our nature, and cooperate to address our existential problems. He suggests that our tribal instincts are deeply ingrained and that they are activated in situations of scarcity, uncertainty, and threat. These instincts drive us to form groups that exclude others and to identify with those who are like us, leading to the formation of tribes.
The problem with tribalism is that it is not compatible with egalitarian democracy. Egalitarian democracy is based on the principles of equality and liberty, where everyone is equal before the law and has the right to participate in the decision-making process. On the other hand, Tribalism is based on the principles of hierarchy and exclusion, where some people are more important than others, and some people are excluded from the group.
To overcome tribalism, Brodie suggests that we need to change our cultural environment. We need to create a culture that values cooperation, empathy, and understanding and recognizes our interdependence. We need to reduce economic and racial inequities, achieve new attitudes and perspectives, and restore the American Dream that allows us to rise from the depths of poverty to social and economic success through hard work and perseverance.
The American Dream is a powerful cultural symbol representing the idea that anyone can succeed through hard work and perseverance. However, the American Dream has been under attack in recent years, as economic and racial inequities have grown and social mobility has declined. To restore the American Dream, we need to reduce economic and racial inequities and create a level playing field where everyone has the same opportunities to succeed.
Reducing economic and racial inequities is not just a moral imperative; it is also a practical necessity. Economic and racial inequities are unfair; they create social divisions and undermine social cohesion. When people feel that they are being left behind, they become resentful and angry, and they are more likely to embrace extreme ideologies that promise to restore their lost status.
To achieve a more egalitarian society, we must adopt new attitudes and perspectives recognizing our interdependence. We need to understand that we are all part of a larger community and that our well-being depends on the well-being of others. We need to reject the idea that success is an individual achievement and recognize that success is a collective achievement that depends on the efforts of many people.
In conclusion, Bruce Brodie’s book “Where Are We Going?” highlights the ongoing struggle for our democracy and human nature’s critical role in this struggle. Brodie argues that our hybrid human nature is incompatible with an egalitarian democracy. Tribal instincts that are deeply ingrained within us drive us to form groups that exclude others, leading to the formation of tribes that are not compatible with an egalitarian democracy. However, to overcome tribalism, we must create a cultural environment that values cooperation, empathy, and understanding and recognizes our interdependence. We need to reduce economic and racial inequities, achieve new attitudes and perspectives, and restore the American Dream that allows us to rise from the depths of poverty to social and economic success through hard work and perseverance. By adopting these measures, we can create a more egalitarian society that will preserve and strengthen our democracy, and in the process, we can overcome the existential struggle facing our nation today.
