When House Speakers John Boehner said last week that his relationship with President Obama is like a conversation between "people from two different planets", he identified a disconnect that extends well beyond the House and the White House.
We are two Americas headed for collision. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg touched upon it with his recent warning about the rising frustration of young people who have graduated college but cannot find jobs. The riots in Cairo could happen here, the mayor said, and he's correct.
Several factors that triggered the Arab Spring are present in the United States today, including crony capitalism, political corruption, poverty and the unmet aspirations of the young. In neighborhood after neighborhood, and in home after repossessed home, the American dream is in shreds while the gap between rich and poor has become a canyon.
Watch for trouble if Republicans in Congress remain adamant this fall about protecting corporations and high-net-worth individuals from tax increases, while cutting programs that benefit the middle class and provide a safety net for the poor.