By Martha Quillen Today the world seems to be locked in an existential crisis, with people from far and wide wondering: Who are we? What are we? Where are we going? And Americans are said to be more partisan, divided and antagonistic than they’ve been since the Civil War. In late January, Bret Stephens, a New York Times columnist, introduced a panel discussion on politics with the words, “All of us sense the world is in a bad way.” And participant Anne Applebaum, a journalist and historian, talked about how she and her old friends have parted ways over politics ...
