"... We need to accept the nature of the political contest that will continue to define our era for many years, maybe decades to come. It is a struggle of world-historic significance, part of a much broader conflict that is playing out in democracies across the 'West' and beyond. Is it possible to establish an egalitarian democracy under conditions of multiracial, multi-religious pluralism? Or will the reactionary mobilization against such a true democracy succeed in imposing its ethno-religious nationalism and entrench white Christian patriarchy as the 'real America'?
"An egalitarian multiracial, pluralistic democracy in which an individual’s status was not determined to a large degree by race, gender, religion, or wealth has never been achieved anywhere.Therein lies the challenge, the danger – but also the very real chance of making the leap to becoming the kind of country America has long promised to be, but never has been yet. In 2024 and beyond: Onward. Forward." -- Georgetown University historian Thomas Zimmer, concluding an essay on his Substack "Democracy Americana" on the victories and challenges of the year past and why we need to gird ourselves for the long haul in the fight for American democracy. It's an excellent, sobering read, and a good message for us all on the cusp of another critical new year.
