The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict With Itself

The mood in Washington, DC was fraught with anxiety on January 20th, 2021. The riot at the Capitol had occurred two weeks prior and the inauguration of the Biden Administration was to take place behind a wall of heightened security. The ideological divide amongst the citizenry had grown further during the Trump administration, but this rift was not new.

The founding of the country and its Constitution featured compromises with the potential for problems down the road (i.e. Slavery, Rights of individuals). The attempts to stifle Democracy through oppression and repression highlighted numerous presidential administrations. The overstepping of executive authority and the neglect of classes of people only furthered the appeal for a populist candidate (i.e. Huey Long, Donald Trump).

In The Forever War, author and journalist Nick Bryant exhaustively recounts the ever-widening rift between both politicians and the public at large. Bryant provides a well-researched treatise on the current discord running throughout the country. However, his political bias is barely concealed in certain points which threatens to overwhelm his most salient points. Nevertheless, this book is a significant addition to understanding politics in the United States and should be read with an open mind.