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These entertaining essays were originally published on Gruner's Substack account. They feature an impressive range of subjects, with expert and easy flow from historical to current (and back again) topics. These are as diverse, for instance, as the SARS virus to the development of the interstate highway system and how the latter, as well as the polio vaccine, were made politically acceptable by a presidential administration that knew that the words "socialism" and "communism" were "hot button" issues to many in mainstream America. With a touch of Ken Burns and more than a touch of sardonic wit, the author examines the issues, large and small, that comprise the US.
America has never been an "easy" country either to live in or govern. Gruner mentions these points repeatedly. A nation comprised mostly of immigrants—from the Jamestown colony and the Mayflower onward—has generally been tough on the "other," even when the "other" is, essentially, ourselves. Does a nation that promises a free press, right to assembly, freedom of thought and religion, mean it? Does commerce get in the way? Does it restrict a free market system? These essays should be read by anyone who believes that an extremely large, powerful piece of geography can be a country that can be understood and function (as it has during times of need, when people recognize the importance of issues) as an intelligent entity with culturally rich diversity. Behind the verbiage and more destructive situations is a nation that may celebrate itself when it is willing to be a republic.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review