Ukrainian journalist Nataliya Gumenyuk reflects on her years reporting on US elections, expressing bewilderment at the increasing polarization, the erosion of a shared reality, and the growing hostility toward the role of the state in American life. Having covered US politics since 2008, Gumenyuk compares her experiences in a nation struggling against Russian invasion with her observations of a prosperous American society that appears to be dismantling its own democratic foundations.
Gumenyuk traces the radicalization of the American political landscape through her travels, particularly in the Rust Belt. She recalls early experiences in Ohio where voters felt abandoned by the economy, yet she notes that even then, ideological debates—such as those regarding universal healthcare—were viewed with suspicion or labeled as “socialist.” Over time, she observed these disagreements shift from policy debates to a complete breakdown of objective truth. Conspiracy theories, such as “birtherism” and the demonization of public health measures during the Covid-19 pandemic, transformed political discourse into performances of identity, where empirical evidence and collective welfare were frequently rejected in favor of grievance and anti-government ideology.
A central theme in Gumenyuk’s analysis is the contrast in how the two nations view the state. In Ukraine, the experience of war has clarified the essential function of government: a functioning state is not merely an ideological entity but a necessary, life-saving mechanism for survival, providing essential infrastructure, military defense, and social services. In contrast, she finds that many Americans, including prominent libertarians and conservative factions, have come to view the state as an inherently suspicious or inefficient burden. She observes a culture that often prefers private philanthropy—which she argues is driven by personal whim rather than public need—over collective, state-led solutions to homelessness, poverty, and healthcare.
Gumenyuk highlights that while Ukraine historically viewed the state with skepticism due to past corruption, the existential threat of the Russian invasion forced the nation to build and value professional, public institutions. Meanwhile, she perceives a “profound inability” in the US to discuss the common good, noting that policies standard in other developed democracies are frequently dismissed as radical. She concludes that while Ukraine faces a brutal and uncertain future, the war has stripped away illusions, forcing citizens to focus on the present reality and the vital necessity of a functioning state. Conversely, she observes a prosperous American society increasingly disconnected from its own reality, hesitant to utilize its resources, and drifting further away from the democratic ideals she once associated with the country.
