By By Clarence Fanto Photo Provided By Robert Dwyer
LENOX 鈥 Three-quarters of Americans fear democracy is under threat.
On the eve of Independence Day, that鈥檚 the takeaway from a newly released NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, which also finds that nearly that many consider politically motivated violence as a major problem.
Moreover, the survey depicts the U.S. as struggling with what it means to be American, who belongs, who doesn鈥檛 and which direction the country should take but with minimal faith in the nation鈥檚 leadership.
As unrest grows amid a deep fracture in the political landscape between Republicans and Democrats, this poll suggests a majority of independents side with the Democrats鈥 perspective. Overall, only 43 percent of those surveyed approve of President Trump鈥檚 job performance 鈥 86 percent of Republicans, 33 percent of independents and 12 percent of Democrats.
It鈥檚 not surprising that two rock icons, Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor, are strongly against the Trump regime, but the intensity and depth of their feelings captured my attention this week.
Springsteen, on tour in Britain and Europe, calls the administration 鈥渃orrupt, incompetent and treasonous鈥 and depicts 鈥渁n unfit president and a rogue government.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 an American tragedy,鈥 he told The New York Times last week in an intimate profile pegged to the release of his 鈥淟ost Albums.鈥
鈥淚 think that it was the combination of the deindustrialization of the country and then the incredible increase in wealth disparity that left so many people behind. It was ripe for a demagogue,鈥 he told veteran Times pop writer Jon Pareles. 鈥淎nd while I can鈥檛 believe it was this moron that came along, he fit the bill for some people. But what we鈥檝e been living through in the last 70 days is things that we all said, 鈥楾his can鈥檛 happen here.鈥 鈥楾his will never happen in America.鈥 And here we are.鈥
For his part, Taylor 鈥 back home in the Berkshires for his Thursday and Friday night shows at Tanglewood 鈥 told me that 鈥渋t鈥檚 somewhat reminiscent of touring鈥 in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans.
In response to my question about whether he felt a certain vibe during his West Coast and New England tour, Taylor said that 鈥測ou do get a sense out there鈥 as he described the audience response to his cover of Carole King鈥檚 鈥淵ou鈥檝e Got a Friend鈥 鈥 鈥渘o kings, just one!鈥
Although 鈥渢he last six months have been a real challenge for people,鈥 he acknowledged, 鈥渓ife goes on and you do set a 鈥榥ew normal.鈥 But you don鈥檛 know what to expect. You feel as though you鈥檙e cut off from your government.鈥
Taylor described Washington as now in lockstep with Trump鈥檚 agenda through Republican control of Congress and the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court.
鈥淲here they鈥檙e taking us is anyone鈥檚 guess,鈥 he observed. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very unsettling feeling, and personally I鈥檝e had a very tough time living with it and adjusting to it, and I鈥檓 not alone. The blatant corruption is a most remarkable thing to see, and the Republicans seem perfectly happy to abdicate their constitutional responsibilities and just go in line.鈥
Taylor recalled his political involvement going back to Democrat George McGovern鈥檚 1972 presidential campaign that resulted in a 49-state Richard Nixon landslide. (Only Massachusetts went for McGovern.)
But apart from the occasional quip during his shows, JT prefers to keep his political viewpoint mostly to himself.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my opinion, and it鈥檚 not why people buy tickets to come to see us,鈥 he said.
Meanwhile, Springsteen is mindful of his Freehold, N.J., roots 鈥 he still lives 10 miles from his hometown 鈥 and he recalls growing up near camps of migrant farm workers.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a large migrant population that lives in and has altered Freehold in a very vibrant way,鈥 he told The Times. 鈥淭here are communities all across America now that have taken in immigrants and migrant workers. So what鈥檚 going on at the moment to me is disgusting, and a terrible tragedy.鈥
Still, he voiced some hope 鈥渂ecause we have a long democratic history. We don鈥檛 have an autocratic history as a nation. It鈥檚 fundamentally democratic, and I believe that at some point that鈥檚 going to rear its head and things will swing back. Let鈥檚 knock on wood.鈥
Springsteen is right. Giving up and retreating, ostrich-like, into quicksand of distraction such as anti-social media entertainment might be a convenient escape hatch from drowning in despair.
Taking back control of Congress in November 2026 requires a reservoir of patience that may be a bridge too far for many opponents of the current national government. Yet I find the alternative is unthinkable.