The biggest division in American society -- and the widest cultural gulf -- is between those who believe in serfdom, and those who believe in freedom.

Those who believe in serfdom are inclined to think that the world is divided into masters and slaves, and that if you don't want to be a slave, you'd best work your ass off, study real hard, join the right churches and country clubs, make lots of money, and then if all goes well, you'll find yourself in the position of being a master. Once you’re a master, of course, you are free from having to obey the laws you promulgate for the slaves, as they are the little people -- people fit only to be ruled (and many of whom look to above, to higher authorities, and in fact want to be ruled).

Note that this has nothing to do with left and right. Hillary and her village of serfs differ from the conservative version in only the details of how the power pie is divided, and what will be regulated.

On the other side are people who believe in being free men and women. They don't want to be treated as serfs, and they don't want to be ruled by people who divide the world into serfs and overlords. Even though they are in the majority, they are confused by a system which encourages "masters" to run for office, and then further confused by a game played by these masters along the lines of good cop/bad cop; good master/bad master.

As I see it, a common intellectual trap tends to confuses people. The mistake is in thinking that the division is between "the people" and "the leaders," when it is really a division between those who believe in being ruled by the "leaders" and those who don't. The latter tend to think that rather than being ruled, their elected representatives are there to serve them, while the former tend to look up to them (and might even want to aspire to "leadership" themselves).

Rule or be ruled? I think that is a sickening concept in a free country.

The rule-or-be-ruled crowd must be resolutely opposed by the refuse-to-be-ruled crowd lest they succeed in setting up a new feudalism.

How can this be done in a civil manner?

In my view, the first step is in getting people to recognize that the biggest gap in the country is not the dispute between left and right (even though some of the right wing tend to respect at least the idea of limitations on power.)

It's the dispute over whether we are ruled -- or free.