Justin Webb's America

Restless America

• Justin Webb
• 9 Jan 09, 10:46 PM GMT

The point I think is that America's greatness - for want of a less emotionally-charged word (its salience perhaps, or its significance) - is lodged in the vibrancy of the place.

And this piece - just read the first three paragraphs - makes the case wonderfully well. To run a political party in the US is to be engaged in a constant effort just to keep up.

To run a competing nation you have to make the same effort. Certainly, lots of nations change, but often slowly and resentfully and fitfully: America alone embraces change in its fundamental makeup.

(China embraced change, yes, but imposed it from the top). Of course, to many Americans this is not really a plus. They would like a rest from this restlessness. But a rest is nowhere to be seen.

• Permalink
• Comments (0)