I’ve got a post over on FT on the need to avoid panic, even if (as is not the case) the fate of American civilization really did rest on the outcome of the next election:

The model here is Lincoln. As I said, the survival of our civilization really was immediately impacted by the election of 1860. When Lincoln realized that his election would trigger a crisis that might destroy us, the panic response—the “save our civilization at all costs!” response—would have been to drop out of the race or find a way to make a convincing peace with slavery. But Lincoln knew the crisis couldn’t be averted. He knew the destruction of American civilization was something that had to be risked. He focused on preparing for the crisis and getting ready to rebuild on the other side.

And that is why we are still Americans today.

Bonus: A quick and fun review of the history of hysteria in American consciousness. We’re a people who love to panic, partly because we’re a democracy (the founders warned about this!) and partly because of our commitment to religious freedom. The American experiment in separating confession from constitution leaves us perpetually anxious as to whether there’s a center to our civilization.