Dear Editor: 

In a political context, tribalism essentially results in discriminatory behavior or attitudes towards out-groups, based on in-group loyalty. This explains the D.C. Deep State, and the current Schumer Shutdown being intentionally prolonged by four or five senate Republicans. 

The law of the vital few, known as the Pareto Principle, states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. Applying this principle to political parties, about 80% of any given party are loyal followers, and 20% are potential outliers. Traditionally, Democrats have controlled their outliers with threats of cancellation, or worse, especially in the Old South. Republicans have yet to become so savage.

In the current Republican tribe, the outlier faction is led by four U.S. Senators named Susan Collins, Rand Paul, Tom Tillis, and Lisa Murkowski, and their avowed mission is to take down President Trump, with no concern for what this may cost the country, or even ordinary Americans just trying to get by in a fragile economy. 

Granted, Presidents come and go, stock markets crash, even a civil war has already happened, but what about the American Experiment itself? You know, the one where our Founding Fathers replaced the entire world history of political tribalism with governance based on individual freedom.

Yeah, maybe we all should start thinking about what has long been happening in Washington, D.C., and what it may inevitably cost us all. 

Phil Molvar 

Southport