Last year, I linked to Sara Robinson's articles at Orcinus analyzing Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. She wrote essays on three of the four folkways, but she never got around to the fourth one, at least not where I could find it (I searched). [ETA: This post links to those articles.]
This gap has been filled (not by Mrs. Robinson, alas) by Geenius at Wrok, who has a long piece at (I'm sorry) Daily Kos: "E Pluribus Contentio: The Origins (and Dangers) of the Tea Party Shutdown"
One paragraph:
It ought to be, more than anything else, the concept of pluralism itself -- the idea that people with different traits and different values can and should live together under one system that respects the dignity and rights of all of them and gives every one of them a voice. That's what our Founders envisioned, to the extent that the logic of their times would allow. That's what lured generations of immigrants away from repressive monarchies. That's what inspired dissidents living behind the Iron Curtain and enticed many of them to defect. That's what African Americans marched and often died for during the Civil Rights Era. That's what still draws political refugees seeking asylum. If we can't reestablish a consensus behind pluralism now, America as we know it, understand it and revere it is, for all intents and purposes, over.I think this is either the first or second time I've actually cited the Great Orange Satan. Thanks to supergee on Dreamwidth for the link.
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