As a Ukrainian journalist, I've covered the US for 20 years. I find it shocking
5 hours ago
- #US-Ukraine Contrast
- #Political Polarization
- #Role of the State
- The author, a Ukrainian reporter, first covered the 2008 U.S. presidential election, drawn by parallels between Obama's message of hope and Ukraine's Orange Revolution, and was shocked by the radicalization of debates over healthcare and education.
- Over subsequent elections, she observed a growing divide in U.S. politics, including the rise of conspiracy theories (like birtherism), the politicization of public health during COVID-19, and a loss of shared reality, contrasting with Ukraine's focus on social programs and secular governance.
- Reporting from places like Ohio and West Virginia revealed economic decline, skepticism toward government, and ideological clashes, where issues like abortion and religion often overshadowed social welfare discussions, unlike in Ukraine.
- The 2016 election highlighted Trump's appeal to white identity and fear, with supporters often influenced by narratives rather than personal experience, while local recovery efforts in places like Wilmington showed a gap between perception and reality.
- By 2024, U.S. political discourse had shifted, with some conservatives aligning with Russia against Ukraine, and a deep distrust in government contrasting with Ukraine's wartime realization that a functioning state is essential for survival and public services.
- The author concludes that the U.S. struggles to discuss the state's role in public good, with universal healthcare and climate action often framed as radical, while Ukraine, despite war, values state institutions as lifelines that cannot be replaced by philanthropy.