I seriously think we are seeing the beginning of America seperating into two or three countries.

[bhikkhu]

42. There have always been forces for separation, from the very beginning

and the founders were pretty well aware of them. If I remember right from reading, the theory was that the greatest overall equity and protection of the minority parties from what might be called the "tyranny of the majority" was to embrace a diverse range of people, such that all were minorities in the whole. This would be the opposite of some of the more homogeneous European societal organization, and it explains (among other things) why the constitution was written with the redistricting provisions that it does have.

So there was never any homogenenous "america", and the divisions we have are there more or less by design. There is always a normal human desire to separate out into homogeneous groups of like-minded individuals, forming an exclusive and coherent society without "those others" (whoever they may be), who disturb the internal peace, ease, and privileged status of the majority...but diversity in parts is what the country is built from.

We might not get to relax much, but that's how its always been!