Last Best Hope by George Packer

LAST BEST HOPE by George Packer at first appears almost as deceptively simple as its cover, but there is much to contemplate in Packer’s analysis of America. Consider his opening lines: “I am an American. No, I don’t want pity.” He does, however, want to explain how America became two countries, summarizing his argument as follows: “Inequality undermined the common faith that Americans need to create a successful multi-everything democracy.”  From there, he spends a good portion of the text describing four Americas:  Free America – based on libertarian ideas and consumer capitalism, religious conservatives, hostile to government, anti-communist; Smart America – meritocracy is a core belief, that talent and effort should determine reward in a world where “the transnational flow of human beings, information, goods, and capital ultimately benefits most, if not all;” Real America – white, Christian nationalism exhibited in anti-intellectual bias and isolationist thinking, and “has always needed to feel that both a shiftless underclass and a parasitic elite depend on its labor;” Just America – grounded in social justice, battling the complacency of others; immersed in identity politics and race relations and looking for equity for groups as opposed to opportunity for individuals. 

Packer notes the overlaps, the tensions, and the vast gaps between these versions of America as he traces their evolution over the past fifty years or more, reviewing options for increasing equality and examining differing views about the working class. He also makes some perceptive comments about the changes in media: “the first step to renewing a democratic press is for its owners, practitioners, and readers to find the moral courage to think for themselves…” If you, too, have concerns about America’s lack of shared vision for the future, or that “our citizenry seems to be suffering through early stage National Cognitive Decline,” have a look at LAST BEST HOPE and its exploration of “America in Crisis and Renewal.” Starred review from Kirkus.