With proper credit given to Mr. Charles Dickens, for many Americans living today in America, "these are the worst of times."  A time period that many of us have never lived in.  A time period that many of us had never thought would happen in America.  A time period where we shudder to think what our children and children's children might live under.  Certainly, the worst of times that we have known.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that America is disintegrating into two warring factions.  For most of the 20th century, Americans had about 35% of the voters voting conservative/Republican and 35% voting liberal/Democrat, with a healthy 30% in the middle.  This 30% in the middle kept us from tearing apart.  Kept us sane and balanced.  But since 2000, voters and voting patterns began to change dramatically.  Now, in 2021, about 48% of the voters view themselves as RedState Patriots, and about 48% of the voters view themselves as BlueState Progressives.  This leaves a slim 4% (if that much) in the middle.

Americans need to start asking themselves, "Is this what we really want?"  Is the country being so deeply divided and fractured what we really desire?  Or is it basically okay because we just don't have that much in common anymore?  Some have stated that maybe it is time for a peaceful, nonviolent dissolution from each other.  But is this what we really want?

Imagine the two separate belief systems.  Notice how diametrically different Side A is from Side B.  Be aware of just how different the cultures, customs, and norms are.  Notice that the two sides do not resemble each other at all, and they look as if they had two separate histories; they certainly look as if they are demanding extremely different futures.  And one characteristic that makes it more crucial is that the red states and the blue states can be found by locations and regions.  Red and blue states do not look like a checkerboard evenly spread out throughout America.  They are heavily regionalized.  Because of this regionalization, it becomes much easier to separate.  If it looked like a checkerboard, evenly distributed, it would not be easy to divide.

Equally disturbing is that recent polls show that a high percentage of Americans, when questioned about their region, would just as soon dissolve the unity.  A little scary and ominous.  Californians don't think much of Floridians.  Texans don't think much of New Yorkers.  Oregon and Washington don't think much of Mississippi and Alabama.  And New Jersey and Massachusetts don't think much of Indiana and Kentucky.  The hatred, mistrust, and real paranoia are getting deeper and wider.

Just look at the real stark differences in culture, customs, values, beliefs, and expectations between the red states and the blue states.

* Red states believe that once vaccinated, they need not wear a mask again.  And "oh, by the way," why do I have to wear a mask if the vaccine actually works?  While blue states appear to look forward to and cherish more masks, more lockdowns, and more government control of our lives.  And blue states insist that they never promised anything with regard to the effectiveness of the vaccine.

* Red states are no longer listening to the CDC and Fauci, while blue states believe that Fauci's words are from Mt. Sinai, and they follow the CDC guidelines with Jonestown-like obedience.

* Red states believe that the Second Amendment was written specifically for the individual, for the common man.  Blue states believe that the Second Amendment is only for the government and also for their own private security teams. 

* Blue states believe that the rioting and violence and murders and theft that took place last summer were free speech, while red states believed that these were felonies, and thus active participants should go to jail.

* Red states believe that the J-6 "Stop the Steal" rally was free speech and constitutionally protected.  Blue states believe that those individuals should go to jail, without due process, without a trial, and should be held in solitary confinement 23 to 24 hours per day.

* Red states believe that All Lives Matter to God.  Blue states believe that Black Lives Matter, and if you say All Lives Matter, you are then a racist.

* Red states believe "my body, my choice" when it comes to the vaccine, while blue states believe "my body, my choice" when it comes to the baby in the womb.

*Red states believe that God is the creator and is the One who gives us freedom, liberty, responsibility, and choice.  Blue states believe that government is the creator and the entity that takes care of them from the womb to the tomb.  Blue states believe that government is the answer.  Red states believe government is usually the problem.

* Red states believe that all discrimination based on skin color is wrong, while blue states believe that some discrimination by skin color is justified and noble and is "payback" for past sins.

* Blue states believe that we should not have borders unless it is to hold the Cuban refugees back and thus keep them under communist tyranny.  Red states believe we must have borders, except we should allow Cubans to escape communism 90 miles away from our shore.

* Red states believe that locking down our economy, shuttering our schools and churches, putting masks back on, and confining Americans back to a China-like existence should be the absolute last option and choice if it even is an option at all.  Blue states believe that shutting down churches, schools, and individual homes should be the first consideration, right out of the box, when the next China COVID virus scare comes along.

* Red states believe in capitalism, free markets, competition, and less government.  Blue states believe in socialism, Deep State politics, government control, and censorship of unwelcome ideas and thoughts and voices. 

* Red states believe that it is wrong for the FBI, CIA, and NSA to surveil and spy on Americans in America just because they have a different point of view and disagree with the Progressive Deep State government.  Blue states believe that those people should be censored, canceled, and put in jail by the government.  Blue states no longer believe in free speech, free thought, and "all ideas are welcome at the table of debate." 

* Red states believe that it is egregious for the Deep State spying apparatuses to spy on and intimidate journalists and members of the press.  Blue states believe that "freedom of the press" is only for blue-state journalists.  Only for CNN, MSNBC, the Washington Post, and the N.Y. Times.

* Red states believe that it is justified to use the military to keep our borders secure and to keep illegal aliens out of our country.  Blue states believe that it is okay to use the military to help move around illegal aliens into our heartland, even if they have not been tested for COVID or taken the vaccine. 

* Blue states believe that everyone should have the vaccine unless you're an illegal alien, and then, no problem, come on in un-vaccinated and un-tested.  Red states believe that the vaccine is an individual choice and that the individual alone bears that responsibility.

* Red states believe that it is wrong to censor, to mandate masks, to cancel and remove controversial or non-government-approved ideas, thoughts, and voices.  Blue states believe in censorship, canceling, and destroying people with views they disagree with.

* Blue states believe that Animal Farm, 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451 are novels of a totalitarian future.  Red states believe that these novels are now current events and on our front page each and every day.

* Red states believe that China should pay America at least $10 trillion in reparations for the damage its China virus has done.  Blue states say the China COVID virus is...wait for it...President Trump's fault. 

* Blue states believe that Dr. Fauci saved America from extinction.  Red states believe that Dr. Fauci should be behind bars.

* Red states believe that our Founding Fathers were imperfect heroes and should be respected.  Blue states believe that our Founding Fathers were despicable criminals whose names, monuments, and words should be "whited out" of our history books.

* Red states believe in equal justice, equal penalties, and equal jail time for all crimes committed.  Blue states advocate a different level of responsibility for crime based on socio-economic and pigmentation factors.

* Red states believe that defunding the police is suicidal.  Blue states agree and are fine with the suicide of our nation.

* Red states believe we must have tighter, stricter election laws for a fair and free election.  Blue states do not want a fair and free election.

* Red states believe that America is an exceptional country that has done great things but has also committed sins as a country.  Blue states believe that America is anything but exceptional and must be destroyed.  Red states believe in 1776, while blue states believe in 1619.

* Red states believe that the last presidential election was stolen.  Really, really stolen, and that Biden is illegitimate.  Blue states believe this, too, but so what?  Shut up, or go to jail.

The vision for the future of America seems so very different today between the red states and blue states.  The common ground is shrinking.  The values that hold us together seem to be nonexistent at times.  The shared future goals appear to be disappearing.  Can the 4% in the middle hold us together?  Can the "purple states" find enough compromises and inclusions in the middle to cement the opposing ends?  One is not terribly optimistic at this time.

When the Progressive Deep State that took office just six months ago and now wants to put its political adversaries (political prisoners) in jail for an undetermined time period...one is not optimistic.  We should be worried that Lincoln's warning and Khrushchev's boast might come true.

One must remember from Dickens's classic that revolutions have a history of eating their own.  Biden, Progressives, BLM, and Antifa might want to study the final days of  Robespierre, Trotsky, and Che.  This is a cautionary tale of bad times that could get much worse.

Image: MasterTux via Pixabay, Pixabay License.

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