The United States has both old problems of gun control and race, and new problems of immigration and "leaving the group". At the crossroads of society, different people pulled back strongly and dramatically, which not only continued the growing political polarization, economic differentiation and racial pain, but also showed the resurgence of conservatism and the collision between ice and fire in the United States and even the world. What is more troublesome than tearing is that we can't find the answer to how to repair it.
The wound of gun control
Sutherland Springs is a small town in Texas, surrounded by green trees and pastures. 165438+1On October 5, gunshots rang out in the church in the town, and 26 lives suddenly fell.
Earlier, the United States had just rewritten the record of the worst shooting incident in modern history: in Las Vegas, Nevada, a cold-blooded gunman shot at the audience of an open-air country concert from the hotel window, killing 58 people.
"Too many guns!" "If such killings can't make the government strengthen gun control, what else can? ! "After the bloody case, there are always countless people who are so booing. However, owning guns is a constitutional empowerment, and the view that "guns are innocent and people are guilty" is also deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Polls show that half of Americans are afraid that the government has gone too far in gun control, and 45% think that the government has not done enough in gun control.
Politicians just stand by and do nothing. The New Yorker lamented that American politicians can only condemn, mourn and pray, and the people can only wait helplessly for the next bloody case.
According to the data, as of the 22nd of this month, there were nearly 60,000 shooting incidents in the United States in 20 17, resulting in about15,000 deaths and more than 30,000 injuries. But just at the end of last month, the number of guns purchased in the United States reached a new high. The United States is caught in a vicious circle of "the more gun cases, the more guns are bought, and the more guns are bought".
Difficulties of immigration
165438+1In late October, The New York Times published a letter from a reader, "If I am not qualified to stay in the United States, who will?" The author tells the story of his surprise and confusion when he wanted to start a business in Silicon Valley after graduating from Stanford University, but left the United States because he didn't get an H 1B foreigner work visa.
In the past year, we imposed entry restrictions on refugees and citizens of some countries, canceled the dream catcher program, suspended the repatriation of about 800 thousand children who arrived in the United States, and withdrew from the process of formulating the Global Immigration Pact led by the United Nations ... The White House's "new immigration policy" caused fierce controversy. Supporters hail the increased sense of security, while opponents blame discrimination and human tragedy. Street protests have become a daily sight. The White House "interacted" with the judicial system, and the lawsuit went to the Supreme Court. At the end of 5438+ 10, eight sections of the "model wall" of the US-Mexico border separation wall were quietly completed, and the number of asylum seekers crossing Canada increased by three times.
Thousands of posts written by readers in The New York Times are full of opposing views: many people lament that the United States no longer has an open and inclusive mind, but there are also many replies such as "Don't take our jobs". The message of a "former skilled immigrant" is intriguing: "It can only be said that you are unfortunate and happen to meet such an era."
The pain of race
The bronze statue of General Robert Lee riding a horse was once a landmark in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia, but now it is covered with black plastic sheets like a ferocious scar. Lee was a famous Confederate soldier who fought for slavery in the American Civil War.
In August, white supremacists, neo-Nazis and the Klan held a far-right rally to protest the city's decision to remove the statue. After being dispersed by the police, a white supremacy driver rammed into a crowd protesting the extreme right rally, killing one person and injuring many others. Since then, Confederate monuments have been demolished in many parts of the United States.
Behind this conflict is the reality of the rise of the extreme right forces in the United States and the intensification of racial politics. 20 15 white supremacy Ruff bloodbath black church gun case shocked the American social confederate monument as a symbol of racial discrimination by the extreme right forces, which triggered a dispute on whether to keep it. Those who oppose migration think it is part of historical memory; Supporters believe that this is part of the suffering of African Americans. Polls show that most Democrats and African-Americans support the recall, while most Republicans and whites oppose it.
In the past year, the number of hate crimes in America has increased; White policemen shot and killed innocent blacks from time to time; African-American football players did not stand up to play the national anthem to protest against racial inequality before the game, which triggered a war of words of "patriotism" ... All this reflected the deep-seated problems such as the changes in American population structure, the anxiety of some whites, and the invisible discrimination against ethnic minorities.
Worry about quitting the league
"Quit the group" is a high-frequency word in American diplomacy in 20 17. 65438 10 withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, the Paris Agreement and UNESCO in June. In addition, the United States also demanded to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement again, refused to recognize Iran's commitment to the nuclear agreement, and put pressure on South Korea to agree to start negotiations on amending the US-South Korea Free Trade Agreement. ...
The move of "leaving the group" further divided the United States. A think tank expert in Washington said that the US government seems to have a judgment that "other countries are taking advantage". Dr. John Cobb Jr, an academician of the National Academy of Humanities, pointed out that a considerable number of Americans are living harder than before, taking globalization or international agreements as scapegoats.
In the eyes of many Americans who oppose "leaving the league", the United States is the leader and beneficiary of globalization and the multilateral system. Today's "self-denial" will make the United States pay a long-term price that seriously damages its international reputation and leadership.
The move to withdraw from the Paris Agreement was particularly controversial, and a large number of people from all over the United States took to the streets to protest. A scientist asked: "What is' American priority'? It should be the earth first! Who can have a future without the earth? ! "A number of states with population and GDP accounting for about one third of the United States form the" American Climate Alliance ",vowing to continue to abide by the Paris Agreement.
Faced with the reality of "beauty to beauty", people are worried. They pointed out that the current sharp opposition in the United States is rare. Not only that, social media is also aggravating the situation of "people are divided into groups", and many politicians gain benefits by amplifying people's differences.
Ross Dian, a professor of political science at the University of Southern California, told Xinhua that people want to eliminate deep differences in American society, "but no one really knows how and whether it can be done."
Looking at 20 18, it seems that people still can't see a clear understanding of the United States. Political and social reality tells people that the answer to "eliminating deep differences" is still "floating" in the wind.