I recall reading research (which I can’t seem to find now) that showed how prior to WW2 the political and social discourse in America was about how to build a stronger country and democracy, and how after the war that shifted to how to build a stronger economy - which dominates our conversations and goals to this day.

I wonder if this shift in the nature of our discussion is a factor. We’ve moved from social norms to market norms, which has brought with it less cooperation.