My debut for @bopinion is now live: bloomberg.com/opinion/articl… Why 1968 is the wrong analogy for understanding 2020. 1/6
"For years, I have confidently said that 1968 was much worse than the present. But could it be the other way around — not in terms of standards of living or rates of violence, but in terms of politics and the perceptions that shape it?" 2/6
"History shows that pandemics all too often exacerbate existing social tensions between classes and ethnic groups." 3/6
"Unlike in 1968 ... urban unrest with a racial dimension might actually save a beleaguered incumbent. ... Its main significance may be to shift the American political conversation ... back to the terrain of the culture war, where Trump is an experienced combatant." 4/6
"The result of 2020’s election will look very different from 1968’s. The nightmare is a result like that of 2000: too close to call and decided in the courts." bloomberg.com/opinion/articl… 5/6
And please do read what the brilliant Roland Fryer has to say on the key issue of police violence and African American communities. 6/6 
