VTIPG's Five Pieces Worth Reading- July 21, 2023

Welcome

Dear friends of VTIPG and CCC,

We share five articles each week that we find timely and meaningful that address significant concerns related to the state of our democracy and civil society. We aim to offer pieces that illuminate a wide array of dimensions of our country's policy and governance challenges and the state of social norms that sustain the possibility of addressing them successfully. Please note, the views expressed in these essays do not necessarily reflect the perspectives of VTIPG or Virginia Tech. We also upload these essays and stories to our website. You may find the archive at News and Opportunities at http://ipg.vt.edu.

If you would like to suggest an article for consideration for this series, and I encourage you to do so, please contact me, Billy Parvatam, at pbilly97@vt.edu.

Our first piece is a New York Times article that argues that hatred in politics now inheres in differing conceptions of patriotism and nationalism and not simply as a consequence of differences concerning policy concerns.
Our second story, from the Cardinal News, examines the fact that southern Virginia has the highest rate of Alzheimer’s cases in the state.
A third piece, from CNN, contends that a second term for former President Trump could be strongly detrimental to America’s standing in the world.
Our fourth offering, from NPR, documents the growth of ‘active club’ hate groups in the U.S.
Last, we share an article from BBC News that describes the heat wave that Italy and much of Europe is now experiencing.

Please find brief summaries of these articles below. We hope the perspectives offered in these pieces encourage reflection and conversation!

Best wishes,

Billy Parvatam

VTIPG Communications Coordinator

pbilly97@vt.edu.

Five Pieces Worth Reading

‘Gut-level hatred’ is consuming our political life

New York Times columnist Thomas Edsall argues that social polarization in America has shifted from differences concerning policy concerns and now is rooted in alternate conceptions of patriotism and nationalism. In particular Edsall finds, Republicans define America in more exclusionary terms while Democrats seek to make the country inclusive. As a group, Edsall contends, Republicans see the nation they thought they knew as changing rapidly and many GOP partisans are both angry and unwilling to accept the character and pace of many of those shifts.

Edsall, T. (2023, July 19). ‘Gut-level hatred’ is consuming our political life.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/opinion/polarization-nationalism-patriotism-history.html

In Virginia, Alzheimer’s disease is most prevalent in Southside, new study shows

Dina Weinstein analyzes a recent Chicago-based Rush Medical College analysis that found that the highest rate of Alzheimer’s cases in Virginia as a proportion of the population is occurring in the southern part of the state. The study also found that Virginia ranks high among the 50 states in the number of its communities with a high percentage of individuals 65 or older afflicted by Alzheimer’s. People are at an increased risk to develop the disease if they are poor, lack education or do not have adequate health care.

Weinstein, D. (2023, July 19). “In Virginia, Alzheimer’s disease is most prevalent in Southside, new study shows.” Cardinal News. https://cardinalnews.org/2023/07/19/in-virginia-alzheimers-disease-is-most-prevalent-in-southside-new-study-shows/

Here’s what America’s allies think about a potential Trump second term

This CNN commentary by Frida Ghitis contends that a second presidential term for Donald Trump could be catastrophic for the country. She argues that Trump could pull the United States out of NATO and could also escalate tensions in Taiwan and South Korea by supporting China and North Korea. Likewise he could support Russia's Putin in his imperial ambitions in Europe. Domestically, he has indicated he aims to secure full control of the Department of Justice and to fire tens of thousands of federal workers on partisan and personal grounds via the executive order.

Ghitis, F. (2023, July 18). “Here’s what America’s allies think about a potential Trump second term.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/18/opinions/trump-second-term-us-allies-foreign-policy-ghitis/index.html

‘Active club’ hate groups are growing in the US – and making themselves seen

Odette Yousef chronicles the rise of ‘active club’ hate organizations in the United States in this NPR piece. These groups are an offshoot of the white nationalist movement. Active clubs emphasize mixed martial arts training to prepare their members for violence against perceived "enemies"—fellow Americans. The Anti-Defamation League recently reported that these hate groups are now active in at least 30 states.

Yousef, O. (2023, July 19). “‘Active club’ hate groups are growing in the U.S. - and making themselves seen.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/07/19/1188111769/active-club-hate-groups

Europe heatwave: Nearly all major Italian cities on Red Heat alert

This BBC News story addresses the ongoing heat wave in Italy, as 23 cities in that nation were recently placed on a Red Heat alert by its government. The current high temperatures are affecting the country's entire population, not just traditionally vulnerable groups within it. Several weather agencies in Europe have warned that the heatwave affecting the continent could continue into August, and that extreme temperatures globally could be the new normal in a world now actively being shaped by climate change.

Bettiza, S., & Gregory, J. (2023, July 19). “Europe heatwave: Nearly all major Italian cities on Red Heat Alert.” BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66242277

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