Gary Younge - Who Are We - And Should It Matter in the Twenty-First Century?

This is an episode of the Diane Rehm show from a week or so back - interesting discussion.

Gary Younge: "Who Are We - And Should It Matter in the Twenty-First Century?"

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Hundreds of people can be seen in a reflection from a mirror on Ocean Drive, in this Jan. 16, 2005, file photo, in the South Beach section of Miami Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz/FILE)
In this new century, identity is at the heart of the most pressing and often violent issues of the day. In the U. S. and abroad, people often retreat into the refuges of religion, nationality, class, and race. It can be seen in the wave of social unrest that spread across England. Or in Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi’s description of undocumented workers as an “army of evil.” And seventy percent of Oklahomans voted to ban the introduction of Sharia law, though only a small portion of residents are Muslim. One journalist urges us to search for common, higher ground. He warns that if we fail, our society may become more divided than ever before. Diane and her guest talk about why identity matters.

Guests
Gary Younge, columnist for the "Guardian" and "The Nation, and author of "Stranger in a Strange Land" and "No Place Like Home."