When Lenora Chu looked into the rise of the far right in the former East Germany, here’s what she found. A feeling that west Germany looks down on those in the east. A sense that no party looks out for “the people at the bottom.” The worry that “everything in Germany is going downhill.” 

We see these same patterns in the United States and elsewhere. Seeing things in these larger ways can sometimes awaken us and help us see from a fresh perspective. In that way, Lenora’s report isn’t just about a German state, but also about a deeper question of how to help restore hope and dignity to those feeling abandoned by a changing world.