A Hard But Simple Way to Detoxify American Politics. By Deion Kathawa.

The primary, driving force in American life today is resentment.

The “oppressed” — sexual and racial minorities, women, the disabled, immigrants, and so on — resent those whom they have been told oppress them—straight, white, heterosexual Christian men.

And the “oppressors” in turn resent those who have viciously and baselessly smeared them as moral monsters: racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic.

The so-called oppressed resent their so-called oppressors because they perceive themselves as victims of hostile forces outside of their control, while the so-called oppressors, in turn, resent the so-called oppressed just as fiercely and also out of a sense of victimhood — because, in their case, they have been unjustly maligned without any recourse. …

Both are awash in resentment, which in itself is a prison, a waystation to death. …

One political party is stirring up and amplifying resentments as a path to political power — racial, economic, sexual, marital, religious, etc.. That always ends well — just ask the man who famously shot himself in a bunker in 1945.

There are numerous powerful, vested interests, seen and unseen, that profit in many ways from incessantly inflaming societal resentments across every dimension imaginable, especially race. For one thing, it is much easier to distract, control, and plunder a bitterly divided society than one that is healthy and harmonious.

The author recommends a treatment like the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Step 4 is to write down resentments, and move past them to take responsibility for your own life.