In these provocative pieces, Farai Chideya looks at and beyond the daily political struggles to the heart of a nation at war with itself. The 2000 election highlighted the rift between liberal/conservative and Red State/Blue State. But that superficial crack, says Chideya, indicates much more serious, indeed foundational, damage. The United States, she argues, lacks the moral, legal, and psychological framework for debating complex issues in a pluralistic society, relying instead on an outdated dichotomy model that says each issue has two opposing sides instead of many interested parties. Covering recent and current campaigns and controversies, Chideya skips the easy answers, showing how black-and-white thinking (a key element of the Bush administration) stifles our moral and political responses. Topics include the War on Drugs, prisons, the Bush tax cuts, and, on a hopeful note, the silver lining of the 2000 presidential election.