Twin visions were there at the start and here they still remain — we’ve been oscillating around the same set of unresolved issues for centuries, like a pair of neutron stars.

There have always been two Americas: one egalitarian and Enlightened, patterned after Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin; and one haughty and zero-sum like John C. Calhoun, believing staunchly that the government should never lift a finger to help the average man (because that would be socialism!) — but that it should aggressively hand out benefits to the business class of wealthy white men, who would allegedly keep the economy going for everyone.

So it would be: centuries of conflict to come, intertwined along a main theme of equal opportunity for all, versus protection of property.

Equal Opportunity (D)

As outlined in the Declaration of Independence — “All men are created equal.”

The government should serve the interests of the people.

We should strive to treat everyone fairly.

We can all work together to achieve greater prosperity for everyone.

Protection of Property (R)

Rich people should rule.

The government can’t really do much outside of the enumerated powers of the Constitution.

But when the government does do anything, it should serve the interests of the business tycoons, who will take care of the rest.

Greed is good — everyone should be out for themselves. Life is a zero-sum game.

States should be out for themselves too, and have a right to nullify federal laws they don’t like.