A century ago, Khalil Gibran wrote a love poem to Lebanon, “You have your Lebanon, I have my Lebanon.” He spoke of his affection for the Lebanese people’s generosity and hospitality, and Lebanon’s beauty, in contrast to its bickering politicians who sought only their own aggrandisement. I saw in this poem parallels between the contradictions at play in Lebanon and those in my country, the United States of America.

Today, many Americans are living in fear and despair, watching their president, seemingly unchecked, tear down some of democracy’s foundations and gut essential social and economic programmes. They ask: “How could this be happening?” and “Can our country survive this onslaught?”

But while some have felt hopeless, others are driven to respond. A week ago, seven million Americans took to the streets in 2,700 cities and towns to demonstrate their resolve to save America’s democracy and arrest the drift towards authoritarianism.

Saudi low-cost Airline launches fifth destination in Pakistan

It’s a reminder that two Americas have always defined our history: one pushing to restrict democratic freedoms and the other working to expand them.

America was born with the........

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