“Is there more to the story, then, to help us understand why the American reckoning with chaos is happening now, in tandem with the global rise of illiberal democracies?”
A: Yes, there is more to the story. It’s what you would call the beginning of the apocalypse. We are headed for world war 3. Even the Sex Pistols knew this. What is more troubling, though, is that you don’t seem to realize it yourself.
Just kidding, everything’s going to be fine.