More on Tribalism: Orson Scott Card

A few months back, Orson Scott Card appeared on the Glenn and Helen Show podcast, in which he talked about his new book Empire, which paints a worst-case scenario where current tribalism in politics leads to a new American civil war.

Listen to this interview via mp3 (or subscribe to the podcast via iTunes)

I haven't read Empire, so I have no idea how well the book stands up, but the interview is thought provoking, and inspired Glenn Reynolds to give further thoughts on Scott's words in a TCS Daily column.

I think that we're a long way from a civil war. But I also think that Card's right to warn people against too much division, and too little emphasis on our common interests as Americans. While I don't think that we're in danger of a civil war, I do think that our current political system is unhealthy, with polarization serving mostly as a tool for the folks in power to keep their bases in line, while they pursue agendas that are mostly self-serving.

(Orson Scott Card is also the writer of Ulitmate Iron Man. Everything ties back to comics eventually.)