SOCIETY

Snapshot
Fotos: miromiro, hsyncoban, RSfotography/iStock.com; Michelle Renee Dumont/Polaris, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn/The New York Times/Redux/laif; Cheney Orr/Reuters/picture-alliance

Angesichts der bevorstehenden Präsidentschaftswahl wollten wir wissen,

wie ganz normale Amerikaner über ihre persönliche Situation, die Wahl und
die politischen Kleinkriege denken, die ihr Land spalten.
GUY ARCHER hat nachgefragt.
ADVANCED US

T
here are deep divisions a long history. They have been deepening blame: to lay the ~ on sb. rupture
running through US for decades, if not for centuries, and have , jmdm. die Schuld , Riss
zuschreiben
society — through been exploited by politicians of every sanctity
ever y community, stripe. In many ways, their existence was blistering , Unantastbarkeit
, hier: massiv, beißend
through every town fundamental to making a Trump presi­ schism
and county, through dency possible. diverse , Spaltung
, vielfältig
every city and state, through the country Every nation’s political turmoil has seldom
itself. These divisions are destroying ingredients all of its own. For America, exploit , selten
, ausnutzen
friendships and sometimes splitting belief in the sanctity of individual rights stripe: of every ~
whole families. is probably the defining one. What that justifiably , jeder Couleur
, berechtigterweise
While many like to lay the blame for means is, of course, open to interpreta­ take office
these ruptures on the current US presi­ tion, but one thing is for sure: The over­ overwhelming , sein/ihr Amt antreten
, überwältigend
dent and, more recently, on the corona­ whelming majority of Americans feel — tension
virus, the polarization of US society justifiably or not — that their rights are ravage , Spannung
, verwüsten, verheeren
began long before Donald Trump took now under threat, or that it is finally time turmoil
office, or the pandemic began ravaging these rights were reasserted. reassert , Aufruhr
, wieder geltend machen
the country. True, Trump’s presidency So, as the election on November 3
has been characterized by the kind of blis­ approaches with the country deep in a
tering personalized attacks seldom seen pandemic and financial crisis, I reached
before in US politics, and the pandemic is out to a diverse group of Americans with
the kind of once-in-a-lifetime emergency wide-ranging political perspectives and
that has unnerved us all. Yet America’s po­ experiences. I asked them what they
litical schism, the deeply conflicted atti­ make of the polarization in America, what
tudes toward immigration, and the racial they hope for in the November elections,
tensions that became visible after the and ways they think that America might
killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis be able to close some of these divisions
on May 25 — all these are conflicts with after the elections.

SOCIETY Spotlight 13
 facilitate neonatal
, erleichtern, begünsti­ , Neugeborenen-
Sue A. I think generous, kind actions are a little gen
upcoming
Sue A. is a California registered nurse, boring when it comes to the news and so
hodgepodge N. Am. , bevorstehend
with specialty certification in neonatal we really are not aware of the proportion , Kuddelmuddel-
intensive care. of kind versus greedy people. It would
be wonderful if our government could
Spotlight: As someone who works in pub­ facilitate public health, and I think that
lic health, what do the upcoming elec­ the regulations for healthcare have made
tions mean in terms of public health, the huge improvements over the last 35 years
virus? And do you see anything that could in safety for hospitalized patients.
heal all of the anger and divisions across My hospital went bankrupt approxi­
the country? mately 20 years ago and had to be bought
Sue A.: I do, actually, feel optimistic about by a for-profit company to remain open. We
the future of medicine, despite the pan­ have a hodgepodge way of treating people
demic. When I look at my circle of friends without insurance, and it’s a full-time job for
and family, almost all of them do some anyone to try to figure out how to navigate
sort of volunteer work to improve the the current healthcare system. I also chose
world. I have had multiple people offer to to work in a well-supported part of health­
give me their only N95 masks to bring to care because it was too stressful to try to
work, so that I can safely care for babies. give good care in other areas. Black Lives Matter protesters and
demonstrators against Covid-19
restrictions come face-to-face in
Phoenix, Fourth of July

14 Spotlight x/2020 SOCIETY

 Still flying the Confederate flag:
Independence Day Parade in Mesa,
Michael Williams this into sharp relief. With Black Lives Arizona, Fourth of July
Williams is the executive director of Matter signs sprouting on people’s lawns,
the Williamstown Youth Center in and small vigils and protests becoming a
Williamstown, Massachusetts. weekly family ritual for a lot of us, I’ve no­
ticed that the smaller number of people
Spotlight: What are some of the divisions with Trump bumper stickers have be­ amputate inept
you have observed among communities come more emphatic, if not more aggres­ , amputieren , unfähig

you work with? What can the elections sive, in their displays. I suspect that the apparent relief: bring sth. into
in November do, if anything, to ease the reason for this is that the administration’s , offensichtlich sharp ~
, etw. deutlich hervor­
divisions and renew some sense of com­ authoritarian actions this spring and its bumper sticker
treten lassen
munity? obvious incompetence in the face of a , Autoaufkleber
resentment
Michael Williams: I’ve worked for a true national emergency are now so unde­ con man ifml.
, Feindseligkeit
community nonprofit in western Mas­ niable. They can only be rationalized by a , Hochstapler, Betrüger
rural
sachusetts for 14 years. It’s desperate, fanatical faith that deception
, ländlich
, Täuschung
an interesting area in that the man 40 percent of Amer­
sprout
we’re a small college town icans still believe in could dupe sb.
, aufkeimen
with two world-class art
museums and the premiere
“It will not possibly be as corrupt,
inept, and careless with the
, jmdn. hereinlegen

ease
ultimately

summer theater festival in take a Constitution as he seems to , erleichtern, mildern

, letztlich

undeniable
the country, stuck in the long be. Ultimately, it’s self-decep­ emphatic
, eindringlich
, unbestreitbar
middle of the poorest, most tion. To turn on Trump now
rural part of our state. I work time is to admit that you were gangrenous limb
vigil
, Wache
with kids and families from for duped by a con man, and no
, brandiges Gliedmaß

gullible
both of these very different
worlds, and while it would us to one wants to admit to being
so gullible.
, leichtgläubig

be naive to say that divisions heal” As for November, I see the

have not always been appar­ election as an opportunity to
ent, it’s also true that these amputate a gangrenous limb
Fotos: Cheney Orr/Reuters/picture-alliance

divisions have never been so — and only then if the limb

dominant in our community life. Unfor­ agrees to go! I’m hopeful that its removal
tunately, I think this is largely due to our will save the patient, but we can’t pretend
current national leadership deliberately that we wouldn’t all be better off if the
exploiting latent suspicions, and perhaps operation weren’t necessary in the first
resentments, between people of different place. And we also have to be realistic and
backgrounds, races, and worldviews. accept that it will take a long time for us to
This spring and summer have brought heal. Even then, we’ll never be the same.

SOCIETY Spotlight 15
 checks and balances divisiveness
, Gewaltenteilung , Gespaltenheit
Archer Ruffin, Jr. Mike Malloy
corporate tax libertarian
Ruffin is a fifth-generation farmer in Malloy is an American lawyer living in , Körperschaftsteuer , Liberalist(in)
Charles City County, Virginia. Moscow. He was formerly the head
coward revenue
of Republicans Overseas in Russia, and , Feigling , Einkommen
Spotlight: As a moderate conservative, prefers to be considered a libertarian
defy take a stand
what are your main concerns as we rather than a conservative. , trotzen , Stellung beziehen
approach the November elections?
Archer Ruffin, Jr.: I worry about the Spotlight: What are some of the funda­ policies through an objective lens, while
Democrats controlling both the White mental values in politics that have drawn liberals see them subjectively. That quali­
House and Congress. We need some you generally to conservatism? How fication is important. A liberal is likely to
checks and balances. I think most of us do you view the current divisiveness in support policies associated with a subjec­
agree that the whole system is broken. America? Do you think there’s any way tive view of gender identity, for example,
So, what happened to the moderates? out of it? as a “social construct” rather than a bio­
Where did they go? Moderate politicians Mike Malloy: I see two fundamental logical fact — but conservatives are likely
should speak up and take a stand. I think differences between conservatives and to support policy based upon objective
they’re cowards now. I think that they’ve liberals. Conservatives are individualists, determinations of questions of fact. That
been forced too far to the left. The same who see politics in terms of individual said, though, both would be likely to ac­
has happened to the Republicans: They’ve actors and individual interests. Liberals cept subjective personal decisions as per­
moved too far to the right. are essentially collectivists. They look at sonal decisions. The difference lies in how
I’m no fan of Trump’s, but what he did politics through the prism of member­ that might be applied to public policy.
to reduce taxes was good for the econo­ ship in different groups — race, gender, I believe the reason why liberals and
my. Biden wants to raise corporate taxes. sexual orientation, etc. conservatives do not communicate well
It’s going to mean that more businesses This is why liberals are often shocked right now is that all issues are considered
move out of America. And that means a to meet members of certain groups on fundamental levels. The fundamental
loss of jobs in this country. And this also who defy expected points of view for differences in their worldviews do not
means that there’s less revenue coming in that group. For example, liberals expect allow for compromise in most cases. If
to fund government spending — includ­ African Americans to be primarily liberal, liberals and conservatives could look at
ing for social programs. These business­ so they are shocked to see an African issues on a more technical level, where
es could go to many other competitive American who holds conservative views, there does not have to be a conflict of
places around the world. Democrats are whereas a conservative is not. fundamental values, more productive
too much about big government. A second difference is between objec­ conversations could be had, and perhaps
tivity and subjectivity in questions of our political parties would learn to work
fact and policy. Conservatives tend to see together again.

Chicagoans protest the killing of George

Floyd, June 5 (below); remembering
Elijah McClain in Denver, Colorado (right)

Fotos: Nima Taradji/Polaris/laif; Kevin Mohatt/Reuters/picture-alliance

16 Spotlight x/2020 SOCIETY

Fotos: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

SOCIETY x/2020 Spotlight 17

 adversary pander to sth.
, Gegner(in) , etw. bedienen
Jennifer Eremeeva what’s left but big, huge conglomerates
alliance reservations
Eremeeva is a freelance writer controlling everything? I worry about
, Bündnis , hier: Vorbehalte
living in Massachusetts. how a lot of us will even make it to Jan­
barely reversal
uary [when the winner of the election is
, notdürftig , Umkehr
Spotlight: As someone who lived and sworn in].
candidacy scale
worked abroad for so many years, The country is spinning out of control. , Kandidatur , Ausmaß
what do you think the coming elec­ We’re all so divided. What would a civil
core values spin
tions mean for the US’s position in the war look like here now? How would it , Grundwerte , sich schnell drehen
world? play out? I can’t imagine it. And I don’t
enterprise squander
Jennifer Eremeeva: I have not always think it’s going to happen. I think that , Unternehmen , verschwenden
agreed with US foreign we’re saved by the fact that
fracture tenure
policy, but until President we’re too disorganized as a , zerbrechen , Amtszeit
Trump’s tenure, I was al­ people and a nation to frac­
ways proud of America’s “The ture like that, to organize like
left-leaning
, nach links tendierend
unprecedented
, noch nie dagewesen
core values of freedom
and equality. I felt con­
coming that. Funny enough, that may
be what actually saves us.
offend vice versa

election
, verletzen, beleidigen , umgekehrt
fident that in moments But the coming election
of global catastrophe,
we would help to lead
does give does give us some hope for
change soon. Hopefully, we
a global response. I no some can unite again. But for now,
longer feel that way. Pres­
ident Trump has squan­
hope for it’s too hot. Whatever you say
on politics is going to make
dered the goodwill of our change” someone else angry — it’s
allies by pandering to the going to offend someone. If
needs of our adversaries. you say something liberal,
For me, one of the most important you anger conservative friends or clients,
outcomes of a Trump defeat will be the and vice versa. And if you say something
immediate restoration of our global moderately conservative, you anger the
alliances and our reputation in the far right for being too “moderate” — or
world. No less important is the im­ you offend the far left if you’re a moderate
mediate reversal of the disastrous re­ liberal. Everyone is angry and offended.
sponse to the coronavirus pandemic, And as head of a company, I’m not going
which has so clearly been behind the on record with my name talking about
Donald Trump poses with a
needless loss of life on an unprecedent­ politics, because I could offend people bible outside St. John’s Episcopal
ed scale. — employees, clients, friends. That’s just Church in Washington on June 1
(below); a Trump supporter in
how it is in America at the moment, and I Boston, May 30 (top); a protester
hope that it changes soon. outside Trump’s Tulsa, Oklahama,
“Ed” rally, June 20 (right)

“Ed” runs a family business

near Washington, DC.

Spotlight: President Trump is unpop­

ular among many who are tradition­
Fotos: Tom Brenner, Brian Snyder, Goran Tomasevic/Reuters/picture-alliance
ally conservative and Republicans.
But what are their main reservations
about a Biden candidacy? And what
do you hope for most in a new admin­
istration?
“Ed”: I’m a Republican, but I’ll never
vote for Trump. However, I worry
about what a lot of the serious, left-
leaning Democrats will do to small
businesses in terms of taxation and
policy. It was tough enough before the
pandemic, and we’re barely hanging on
now. SMEs [small- and medium-size
enterprises] make up about 50 per­
cent of our economy. If we disappear,

18 Spotlight SOCIETY