What’s Happening in America: A Questionnaire for Medium’s Political Commentariat

In 1966, the editors of Partisan Review sent out a questionnaire to their regular political contributors inquiring about the State of the Union. “There is a good deal of anxiety about the direction of American life,” they explained, “In fact, there is a reason to fear that America may be entering a moral and political crisis.”

(ORLY?)

Here are the questions they asked:

1. Does it matter who is in the White House? Or is there something in our system which would force any President to act as Johnson is acting?
2. How serious is the problem of inflation? The problem of poverty?
3. What is the meaning of the split between the Administration and the American intellectuals?
4. Is white America committed to granting equality to the American Negro?
5. Where do you think our foreign policies are likely to lead us?
6. What, in general, do you think is likely to happen in America?
7. Do you think any promise is to be found in the activities of young people today?

You can go back and read selected answers in the 1967 Winter issue of the Review, featuring responses from Michael Harrington, Susan Sontag, and Tom Hayden. I can’t find a digital link or else I’d share it. But it’s worth finding if you’re curious.

But isn’t it cute how after 60 years this madness never gets resolved? Destined forever are we to ride on this carousel of crazy. In this spirit of sensing my nation once again teetering on the precipice of moral collapse, I issue to Medium’s political commentariat my own questionnaire, which is pretty much exactly the same as that one because we all know I’m not very creative.

Holly’s 2016 “What’s Happening in America?” Questionnaire

1. Does it matter who is in the White House? Or is there something in our system which would force any President to act as Obama?
2. How serious is the problem of debt? The problem of poverty?
3. What is the meaning of the split between the Administration and the American intellectuals?
4. Is white America committed to granting* equality to the Black American?
5. Where do you think our foreign policies are likely to lead us?
6. What in, in general, do you think is likely to happen in America?
7. Do you think any promise is to be found in the activities of young people today?

Issue your response in whatever form speaks best to you.

Curiously yours,

Holly

*granting is not the right word here. Bonus points to commentators recognize this.