A Brief Reading Suggestion

Are we missing the key social/cultural division that is shaping American politics?

I want to pause for a few days in writing about realignment and note an interesting article by Ted Gioia that I received from Ted Coltman

15 Observations on the New Phase in Cultural Conflict

that ties into much of my current thinking and provides a thoughtful response to Daryll’s question raised in the thread responding to my post on “What is a Critical Realignment from November 20^th

Ted Gioia recalls Jose Ortga y Gasset’s 1929 book, The Revolt of the Masses, and updates part of the argument made in the book.  It explains, perhaps, the ability of a rich man (Trump) to become the champion of, well, “the masses.” 

I’m going to integrate it into my next discussion of realignment.  I continue to think that many classic works of philosophy, history and sociology of the last century became classics for a reason.

We cannot defend Plato. Augustine, Locke, and Machiavelli as essential reading if we reject equally valuable 20^th century works that are now beginning to withstand the test of time.  Maybe a reading list is in order.  Any suggestions.