The United States vs. Whatever This Is (paperback)

America has always lived in tension between the promise of “We the People” and the pull of power, greed, and control. The United States vs. Whatever This Is is a bold, unflinching look at where we’ve been—through wars, protests, backroom deals, and moral crossroads—and where we might be headed if we’re not careful. Moving backward through time, from the present moment to forgotten lessons and the values we risk losing, this book traces both America’s finest hours and its darkest turns, asking the question at the heart of it all: Who do we want to be? It’s part history, part wake-up call, part invitation. Let’s remember the best of what America has been—and act now to decide what we’re becoming.

Table of Contents

I. What Just Happened?

1. A Fork in the Road
History will tell us which path we took.

2. Bent Toward Injustice
Right now, the arc of the moral universe is bending toward injustice.

3. The Reagan Snap Back
You can make harming people sound righteous if you clothe it in faith and flag.

4. Church vs. State
Jesus didn't run a political party. Your church shouldn't either.

5. Americans Hate Moderation
Why does America hate smart, moderate politicians?

6. Too Much Change
Why can't we let God take care of judgment?

II. Forgotten Lessons

7. Everyone Loves America
When do you actually need to know what you're doing to make the world a better place?

8. Mutual Assured Destruction
If bombs could make peace, we'd already have it.

9. Jokers of Authoritarianism
They thought Hitler was a joke. Then they gave him their country.

10. The Invisible Hand That Slapped Us
We trusted the "invisble hand" of the market once, and it punched us in the gut.

11. The Rich Get Richer
We let a few people own everything once before. Spoiler alert: it sucked for everyone else.

12. Ours for the Taking
Watch out. America's coming for everything we can get out of you.

13. America’s Closed
The Statue of Liberty has become a lie.

III. What’s to Lose

14. Dare You to Stop Me
A republic is only as good as the people it protects.

15. Three-Fifths of a Person
"States' rights" almost always has meant, "Let's do something awful."

16. Who Counts as a Human Being?
America once killed 600,000 of its own people to keep one group "in their place." Let's not do that again.

17. Tell Me My Rights
They came for everyone else's rights, and you said nothing. Now they're coming for yours.

18. No More Kings!
The Founders didn't dump tea into a harbor to trade one king for another.

19. Protest is Deeply American
Protest is very annoying. And very important.

20. The Best of America
"Let America be America again!"

Appendix: American History in a Nutshell