We can survive. But can we thrive? That's a different question entirely.

Corey Nathan joined Andrew Keen on Keen on America to talk about the state of civic discourse in America. Robert Mueller's death and the president's response to it is the jumping-off point, but the conversation goes much deeper: the exhausted majority, the horseshoe of extremism, storytelling as a bridge across difference, and what it takes to stay in hard conversations. This feed drop brings that interview to the TP&R audience.

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Key Takeaways:

Robert Mueller as a mirror. Mueller served under presidents of both parties, earned a Purple Heart, and devoted his education to public service. His death and the president's response to it shows what happens when tribalism does our thinking: one data point erases an entire life.

The exhausted majority is real. The Hidden Tribes study from More in Common found that only 6-8% on either side qualify as genuine extremists. The other 85% are far more nuanced. They want to enjoy the barbecue and Thanksgiving dinner without it turning into a war. The conflict entrepreneurs don't represent most of us.

It's a horseshoe, not a spectrum. The extreme ends have more in common with each other than either would admit. The incentive structure is identical: compete for attention, be the loudest voice in the room.

Stories are the antidote to caricature. When we understand someone's story, we stop reducing them to a single data point. Corey illustrates this with a friend born in Lebanon with family in Iran who voted for Trump. The disagreements are real. But understanding the story behind the view changes everything.

Surviving and thriving are not the same thing. Corey's family spent 800 years in what is now Ukraine. They knew how to survive. But survival isn't the American promise. The experiment is worth protecting and worth talking about.

About Andrew Keen

Andrew Keen is a British-American broadcaster and author, host of Keen on America and How to Fix Democracy. He is known for pressing his guests hard and not letting easy answers stand.

Links and Resources

Keen on America: https://keenon.substack.com/keenon.substack.com/

Connect on Social Media

Corey is @coreysnathan on all the socials…

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Thanks to Pew Research Center for making today’s conversation possible.

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