America’s Civil War of Values Is Tearing the U.S. Apart
The United States is locked in a battle with itself.
Not over borders, not over geography—
but over values.
At the heart of the fight are two visions of success.
One says: “Winning matters most.”
The other says: “People matter most.”
Geert Hofstede, the cultural theorist, called this divide Achievement vs. Nurturance. And it is one of the deepest cultural fractures in the world.
The Achievement Perspective
In achievement cultures, success is measured by strength, ambition, and competition. Life is a zero-sum game: if you’re doing better than me, it means you’ve taken something from me. So I have to fight to get it back.
Trump’s Republican ideals are built on this logic. His supporters idolize strength. They want the biggest military, the highest GDP, and record-breaking stock market gains. If others are poor, that’s seen not only as that person’s fault, but as a sign of their superiority.
For them, leadership means promising to eliminate problems, not carefully solve them. And there is a significnat difference between those two approaches. The ideal leader is a fighter, a destroyer of obstacles, not a patient builder of systems.
The Nurturance Perspective
On the other side are nurturance cultures. Here, success is measured not by who wins, but by whether everyone does better. It’s not a race to the top, it’s the idea that a rising tide lifts all boats, that united we stand, divided we fall.
Democratic ideals reflect this nurturance orientation. They push for equality, safety nets, and policies that ensure people can escape poverty and everyone has opportunity. If someone else is poor, it drags society down. Helping others isn’t charity, it’s progress.
For them, leadership means finding solutions that make everyone, or as many as possible, better off. The ideal leader is a problem-solver, a protector, someone who builds stability so all can succeed.
The Archetypes at Play
Seen through M.J. Hornby’s archetypes, Trump embodies the Power-Seeker at its most extreme. An achievement-driven figure whose goal is dominance and control. His appeal is to those who want a leader who wins at all costs.
Democrats, by contrast, often position themselves as the Intuitive Caregivers, archetypes focused on empathy, protection, and collective well-being. Their message resonates with those who want a leader who cares and helps.
Culture, Not Politics, Drives the Divide
This isn’t left versus right. It’s not even really politics. It’s culture.
The U.S. is split between two cultural logics:
– The zero-sum game of achievement, which drives individuals to greatness but leaves others behind.
– The rising tide of nurturance, where cooperation ensures broader prosperity but may blunt individual ambition.
This clash explains why Americans are moving in opposite directions, why compromise feels impossible, and why politics has become a war of values rather than policies.
Which Way Forward?
The question is simple, but the answer will define the future of America:
Does America build a society where the goal is to win and others must lose?
Or does America build a society where success is shared, even if no one wins outright?
America’s civil war of values is tearing the nation apart. Which vision do you believe in?
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