Just Finished Reading: American Character – A History of the Epic Struggle Between Individual Liberty and the Common Good by Colin Woodard (FP: 2016) [265pp] 

One of the questions that has popped into my head over the last 4-5 years is a bit of a strange one: Is America actually a country? On the face of it it’s a silly question – of course America is a country, right? But the USA is a LARGE place too. It’s a bit like asking if Europe is a country. Actually, it’s more like asking residents of a (possible) future United States of Europe if Europe is a country. The logical answer would be No, of course not. Even a century after the USE came into existence, I’m sure that people would still think of themselves as French. German or Italian first and THEN European. Likewise, until fairly recently, people saw themselves and thought of themselves as Californian. Texan or as a New Yorker first and then as an American. Interestingly, the author of this often-fascinating book, has asked the same question I started with and has come to a similar conclusion – that America, as any kind of cohesive nation, simply does not and quite possibly cannot exist. 

The author splits the US into a number (10-12 I think) of ‘nations’ based on their individual histories and who colonised them (and when!). Each nation, because of historical and cultural reasons, has developed in different directions and holds a variety of idea to be sacred or non-negotiable. VERY broadly speaking, with some rich nuance sprinkled within each category, they can be grouped into two political ideologies – those who value individual liberty above all else and those who focus on the common good and who feel that they need to restrain individualism where it clashes with that good. This geographic focus on political ideologies has shifted and morphed over time but, generally speaking, areas that strongly favoured ‘rugged individualism’ in the past favour it still – and maybe more strongly – as do areas who based their political structures and ideology of community being ultimately more important (comparatively) that individual attainment or excess. Inevitably as such ‘nations’ bedded in and people, over the centuries, navigated to the areas that suited their personal ideologies the politicians they sent to Congress and the Presidents they elected reflected a divided nation and helps explain the shifts from individualism to communitarianism and back again over the decades. 

The problem is, of course, that the political identities that have grown up especially since the 1960’s have become people's primary identities. Within living memory, it was still possible for left-leaning Republicans and right-leaning Democrats to actually agree with each other much of the time. It was an era when bi-partisan had yet to become a slur. With the hardening of political attitudes since the 60’s the holders of individualistic or community-based ideologies increasingly hold to the idea that they can ‘win’ and that the other side can be ‘defeated’ forever. Of course, the author rightly states, neither side can (or should) ‘win’ in the fashion some of their adherents dream of. We are all aware of just how badly wrong a country can go when its only driving ideology is the common good at the expense of any individual freedom. We should also be aware, the author states strongly, of the dangers of toxic individualism at the ultimate expense of the common good. These two forces, both necessary for liberty to thrive, should be held in a dynamic balance. Only in this way can a free society be maintained. 

I’ve been looking for books for a while now to help explain one of the burning questions of the moment that I have (somewhat) sarcastically termed USA:WTF. This, I think, went a great deal towards at least giving me a foundation on which to build future delving's into this subject. If, like me, you’ve wondered why America seems at times to be tearing itself apart or why the US seems somewhat more screwed up than normally this might just be the book for you. I’ve recently finished another look at this problem which actually complimented this volume rather well, but you’ll need to wait a few weeks for me to review that one! Further down the line I have another 3 pairs of books looking at various aspects of American culture which, together, I hope will give me some firm foundation to understanding the USA. But then, I do so like a challenge! Definitely recommended and more to come from this author.