EXPANDED – “The American dream, once an emblem of promise and opportunity for all who believed in the virtues of liberty, is now facing a substantial challenge. This ideal, rooted in the notion that everyone, regardless of background, could achieve success, is gradually eroding due to the escalating prevalence of identity politics, a phenomenon that undermines one of the fundamental tenets of the American miracle: equality.

Identity politics has become a contentious issue, notably contesting the principle of color blindness. This principle, integral to the concept of meritocracy championed by Martin Luther King Jr., advocated that individuals should be judged on their capabilities, not the color of their skin. Unfortunately, contemporary discourse has seen a growing inclination toward emphasizing race and gender differences, leading to a dichotomy fraught with ramifications.

This focus on identity has resulted in two significant repercussions. First, it has regrettably reduced individuals to mere amalgamations of singular traits, disregarding their complexity and diversity. Second, and perhaps more distressingly, it has fomented a divisive sense of tribalism, fracturing communities and exacerbating social discord.

Such a preoccupation with identity has led to preposterous contentions; for instance, the dismissal of conservative women from being regarded as ‘real’ women, solely due to their ideological beliefs. This not only perpetuates division but also generates unintended consequences. Some disillusioned voters, feeling marginalized by the tenets of identity politics, have embraced a newfound white identity in response.

Paradoxically, many white Christian Americans, primarily concerned about governmental overreach and the erosion of democratic norms, have found themselves embracing this newly forged identity. This resurgence of tribalism, emerging from the broader narrative of identity politics, represents a challenge to the hard-won progress in subduing such primal instincts, a pivotal achievement of the American miracle.”