Against Unity

Biden’s inaugural address emphasized ‘unity,’ but disagreement, debate, and competition are the American way.

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President Joe Biden gives his inaugural address in Washington, D.C., January 20, 2021.

Patrick Semansky/Reuters Pool

Joe Biden, giving an inaugural address so forgettable that he himself seemed to have forgotten much of it, emphasized the need for “unity.”

He is not the first with the unity talk. Barack Obama talked up unity in his 2009 inaugural, insisting that Americans must choose “unity of purpose over conflict and discord.” Donald Trump was not famous for his enthusiasm for unity, but he nodded to it: “We are one nation,” etc. Ronald Reagan valorized the American public as a whole: “You have shown a watching world that we are a united people.” Dwight Eisenhower began with the prayer

Kevin D. Williamson

About the Author

Kevin D. Williamson

Kevin D. Williamson is a former fellow at National Review Institute and a former roving correspondent for National Review.

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