Cliff Hanger

  CLIFFANGER is a novel taking place in 2030.  What are you   saying about how America might be changing?  
A.    In my view, after owning the 20th Century, America  began to lose its way…  starting with 9/11.  The terrorist  assaults on the twin towers, the Pentagon, and the aborted attack on the White House, were the wellspring of mixed national feelings: xenophobia,  insecurity, paranoia, conspiracy theories, and  the us-against-them polarization of tribalism.  Many of us waited for these fears to dissipate,  to return to common sense, but they only  grew stronger.  If the damage to our country’s identity and self-esteem  was an earthquake, I would say that September 11  was a nine out of ten on the Richter Scale.  No matter who wins on Nov 3,  the aftershocks will  still  keep coming.