Has the left/right power struggle placed the United States on a path to self destruction?

It's not the power struggle that's the problem. It's the fact that the politcal parties have become so powerful that they will not tolerate the presence of independent or nascent political parties, effectively defeating the purpose of having a democracy. What we have here is a totalitarianist government with a split personality disorder, trying to undo everything it did, ripping itself apart, and only working together when someone rises to threaten its reign over this nation.

Because the two sides have very different views of present and future USA, there is no moderation nor is there any co-existence. It is illogical to expect such a thing. One side thinks more government is the answer and one side thinks less government is the answer.

There is no middle ground on that.

Well it would be nice if a lot of the rhetoric that seems to fuel political discourse here in THESE united states had an off switch, but it doesn't and since there's been a serious dumbing down of the electorate- you and I- since the early sixties... I doubt it..

We are a Democracy! The fact that we have two sides that want to be heard, and can be represented is what makes us a great country! What will destroy us is when the people are being heard, and the politicians are thinking of their own pockets!

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.