Random Links

The New York Times notices that not all gay folks are into the marriage thing. A lot of straight people aren’t either.

I’m usually predisposed to keeping essential services public, but in this case, things should be kept private.

Social Isolation and the Rise of Neoconservatism and Christian Nationalism

The WPost has an interesting article on social isolation in the United States. According to the results of the National Science Foundation’s most recent General Social Survey, published yesterday in the American Sociological Review, the number of socially isolated Americans (those who do not have a close relation in which to confide personal matters) has more than doubled since 1985. The data, gathered from survey last conducted in 1984 show that only half of respondents had someone close to talk to.

I think this is a major trend underlying the popularization of neoconservative ideology and Christian nationalism. People who feel alone are vulnerable to ideologies that preach individualized morality and discipline and strict adherence to supernatural authority as perceived antidotes to the alienation of living alone in a “dangerous world.” More than any other political movement, the Right has been able to capitalize on this feeling of isolation among the exurban residents that comprise the majority of the US population. For the US left/progressive movements I believe addressing this suburban American loneliness is one of the critical steps towards turning the tide in this country. It’s not just about defending the social safety net of goverment programs such as Social Security, public education, etc. but also about reinvigorating the idea of the social itself, the importance of friendships and community that intertwine and extend beyond the nuclear family unit. The Right provides a false atrophied version of this in the Church, but I think it’s up to the Left to articulate a vision of a social America that includes Churches, but also other community formations as well.

So how can the US Left do this? How do we take on the challenge of reinvigorating social life in the sprawling exurbs?