In her 2020 essay, The price of America’s quest for an external enemy Morgan Godvin made a good point.

We can use this as a catalyst for positive change. Instead of constantly searching for threats from without, this is an opportunity for introspection. Healing comes from within.

Along the way she pointed out some basic facts of the American Experience.

American history class, after all, is used to promulgate a particular and pre-approved world view.

We are far more experienced at chasing boogiemen than we are at actually protecting American life.

Of course, America did nothing. We can not agree on the facts of anything anymore. The voices shouting about placing blame on China will be reported as if they were the majority when, in fact, they are the minority. The voices trying to move the giant health care industry away from private insurance will be derailed in their fight because of a million little things.

America will not change because we, as a country, can not pause for honest introspection. We are a country of us versus them, of right vs wrong, of good vs evil. We are a country that does not believe in the fact that the world is not divided along a line.