Author says American society is breaking down, but can be put back together

American society is breaking down because people are feeling lost and alienated. If this situation does not change, it could lead to the death of what America is, author and journalist Sebastian Junger said at a June 16 National Press Club Newsmaker.

In his new book, "Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging," Junger discusses the breakdown of U.S. communities and explores what can be learned from tribal societies.

"I wanted to write a book about modern society," Junger said. "One of the key points in the book is that tribal societies possess certain characteristics that lead to greater human connection. That connection has been lost in American society today."

America can come together if it rediscovers and emphasizes its shared humanity, Junger said.

Junger noted that whites who were kidnapped by and eventually lived with Native Americans did not want to go back to the society they left. No one wanted to “go civilized,” he said.

A similar feeling has overcome soldiers returning from combat, Junger said. They miss the brotherhood they experienced in their units but fail to find in today’s society.

There is a direct correlation between wealth and suicides in today’s society, Junger told the audience. As wealth has gone up, suicides have done the same.

“People cohere during adversity,” Junger said. For instance, there is never mayhem during disasters.

Even though tribalism has a negative connotation, it shouldn’t, Junger said. Tribal societies promote loyalty and provide members with a sense of purpose and safety.

Junger compared listening to the current political discord between the parties to children listening to their parents fight in the bedroom. You wonder if they’re headed for divorce.