America is a Dystopia

America’s Weekend of Chaos, Rage, and Despair

Take a hard look at America right about now. What do you see?

Here’s what I see. A dystopia.

Riots across the country. Cities on fire. A hundred thousand dead and counting. A President who alternates between negligence, irresponsibility, incitement, and indifference. A political class that’s paralyzed. An intellectual class that failed at it’s first job — to predict and prevent any of it. A people who are now poor, desperate, and afraid. A pervasive feeling of hopelessness, powerlessness, rage, and pessimism.

The rest of the world sees a society which has plunged shockingly into a dystopian abyss.

Two weeks ago, when I walked into my little dog park: “Umair, have you seen this?” Ben the grizzled London copper handed me his phone.

Everyone crowded around. Claudine, the French consultant, Wolfgang, the German accountant, Helen, the CEO.

I recoiled in horror. I felt sick to my stomach. It was the video of Ahmaud Arbery being shot in cold blood for…jogging.

“My God,” cried Wolfgang.

“Sweet Lord in heaven,” muttered Helen.

“Mon dieu,” said Claudine.

We all looked at each other, numb. What words could be spoken? We’d just watched a man…die…be murdered…for nothing.

“What the hell is wrong with Americans?” asked Wolfgang. There was a kind of desperation in his voice.

“Mate,” replied Ben, “can you explain this to us?”

But what could I say?

A week after that, I walked into the dog park. “Umair! Look at this.” I shuddered. What was it today.

Ben handed me his phone. It was Amy Cooper, calling the cops on Christian Cooper, for bird-watching.

Everyone was laughing, in shock, in bewilderment, in horror.

“But why does she keep…keep saying…’African-American man’?” Asked Wolfgang.

“Ah, you know why,” replied Claudine. “She is afraid just because he is black.”

Ben shook his head. And the question came again, this time from Helen.