"is now riven by toxic political discord and stands at the brink of social collapse."

lol wut?

the USA has seen a incredible rise on so many fronts: quality of life, removal of segregation, rights of gays, right of blacks, rights of women, emergence of computing, emergence of startups, and so, so many more. to say that the US is on the brink of collapse shows the author doesn't really understand the situation, or is simply pushing a narrative.