Monica,

I basically grew up on that line between the snots and the deplorables. The family has pretty deep roots in the area, while my branch stuck with the more agricultural side of the equation and I was the fifth of six kids.

The problem with making sense of the world is that the fundamental issues go much deeper than social divisions and while most of the time, we can navigate by sticking with those cultural ruts and boxes, it is safe to say, at this point in history, we will find our tribes to be those in our vicinity, after the Big Crash comes.

Though having watched it build, over my 60+ years, it is much more interesting and potentially productive to understand the dynamics, than finding emotional connections in the maelstrom.

When it's millions and billions of people, the denominators are more physics and biology, than culture and civics. More light, than heat.

Here is an extended effort to put some of the pieces together;

https://johnbrodixmerrymanjr.medium.com/the-cliffs-edge-2b382ae2a73