Welcome to Zero-Trust America

Trust in America is near an all-time low. Traditional values and cultural commonalities are now artifacts of an America that scarcely exists.

Products are displayed in locked security cabinets at a Walgreens store in San Francisco in a file photo. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Commentary

Trust in America is near an all-time low, and so is the rule of law. That’s no coincidence. It’s part of a long, downward trajectory in American politics and culture that started with the premise that there is no truth.

When Trust Was High, Crime Was Low

There once was a time in America when most communities were pretty safe. People didn’t always lock their doors at night or turn off their cars while they popped into a convenience store for a six-pack of Coke. You looked after your neighbors’ kids just as they looked after yours.