The Ground Beneath Our Feet

In tonight's Notes From The Circus Live session, we explored the rapidly evolving crisis facing American democracy, highlighting the underlying epistemic collapse driving our current instability. Our discussion covered recent, alarming developments—from federal occupation in Los Angeles and catastrophic flooding in Texas, to shifts in Trump's alliances and J.D. Vance's troubling post-constitutional rhetoric at the Claremont Institute.

At the heart of the conversation was the profound institutional and cultural collapse we're witnessing, marked by a loss of shared meanings, trust, and coherent narratives that traditionally hold societies together. I emphasized that our collective difficulty in fully grasping this existential threat arises from psychological defenses, normalizing conditions that should never become normal.

We underscored the urgent need to reclaim democratic coherence and active civic responsibility, resisting both nostalgia and resignation. Despite the gravity of the situation, the session ended on a note of cautious optimism, stressing that the future remains unwritten—dependent on our willingness to engage authentically and courageously in constructing a meaningful democratic reality.