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Progress, Power, and Responsibility: An American View on a Divided World
By Daniel R. Mitchell
Every generation believes it lives at a turning point in history. Ours is no different. Headlines tell us that the world is more divided than ever — politically, culturally, and economically. Yet from an American perspective shaped by centuries of transformation, conflict, and renewal, this moment may not represent collapse, but rather evolution.
The idea that society is unraveling under the weight of hatred is compelling, but incomplete. Human history has always been turbulent. What is different today is visibility. Technology has not created division; it has revealed it. What once remained local now travels globally in seconds.
In the United States, diversity has never been simple. It has been contested, debated, and painfully earned. Yet it is also the engine of innovation. The same nation that struggles with polarization also leads in science, medicine, education, and democratic reform. Progress, in this sense, has never been quiet—it has always been loud, uncomfortable, and imperfect.
Critics often argue that modern technology fuels extremism and social fracture. While this risk is real, it is only half the story. The same digital platforms accused of spreading division have empowered marginalized voices, exposed injustice, and connected communities that once lived in isolation. Tools themselves are neutral; their impact reflects how societies choose to use them.
From an American viewpoint, freedom of expression—even when messy—is preferable to enforced silence. Debate, dissent, and disagreement are not signs of decay but evidence of a living democracy. The challenge is not to silence opposing voices, but to cultivate resilience, critical thinking, and civic responsibility.
The future of global society will not be decided by technology alone, nor by ideology. It will be shaped by how nations balance freedom with responsibility, diversity with unity, and progress with compassion.
In a world increasingly defined by complexity, the task ahead is not to retreat from difference but to learn how to coexist within it. Progress has never come from comfort. It comes from engagement, dialogue, and the courage to listen—even when it is difficult.
By Daniel R. Mitchell, San Francisco, California
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