Now, none of this is Taylor Swift’s fault. She’s just the portent, like the black horse rider of the Apocalypse. ...

In many respects, we’re living in a peaceful one-party state. Virtually every major institution is now controlled by the proselytizing left. From the people who hand out scientific grants to the people who write our movies and TV shows and commercials, to the people who run higher education, to the billionaires who force investors to live under progressive environmental, social, and governance regimes, to the commissioners of major sports leagues, to rent-seeking CEOs who build cars we drive. Normies are constantly rejecting progressive orthodoxy, but it never stops them from badgering you. Even if you don’t care about politics, it’s going to care about you.

Perhaps the receding roles of religion, localism, and American idealism have created an environment that allows this obsession with politics to bloom. One thing is for sure: A place where everything is politicized is a place headed in a bad direction.