Opinion Today: Two clashing visions of America
Here’s what we’re focusing on.
Opinion Today
November 3, 2025
A photo of two people from the neck down holding an American flag.
Alexander Coggin for The New York Times

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Notable

In this battle of stories, American identity is at stake. “If we abandon the Declaration’s ideals in favor of a tribal concept of national membership, we’re done for.”

— Colin Woodard, the author of “Union: The Struggle to Forge the Story of United States Nationhood”

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The French know how to do food. Even when it’s frozen. “French people cook more than Americans, but the country has made it easier for them to do so quickly and nutritiously.”

— Julia Belluz, a contributing Opinion writer

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Maduro might not last. But his system will. “A new state apparatus with institutional checks and balances would effectively need to be built from scratch — or the country’s new political winners could well recreate the deeply corrupt, coercive and unequal system that has so successfully entrenched Mr. Maduro’s rule.”

— Javier Corrales, a professor of political science at Amherst College

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Spotlight

Ofir Berman for The New York Times, Rhiannon Adam for The New York Times

How to Be a Good Citizen of a Bad Country

And why it matters so much to try.

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ICYMI

What do women really want? No work email at 10 p.m. “What we need are plain old boundaries — jobs where work stops at a set time and allows other parts of life to exist without interruption.”

— Corinne Low, author of “Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours.”

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Listen (or Watch)

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The Opinions

Bernie Sanders: ‘There Ain’t Much of a Democratic Party’

The Vermont senator on how to take the country back from elites — on both sides of the aisle.

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33 MIN LISTEN

More in Opinion

An illustration of a person standing straight, his reflection partially showing on several tall lines meant to look like a poll graph.

German Lopez

Single-Issue Opinion Polls Are Bunk

Perhaps gun control and carbon taxes aren’t as popular as they seem.

By German Lopez

Half of cut apple, bright red, and a dried leaf, sitting on a table.

Guest Essay

The Lovely Loneliness of Sunday Afternoons in Autumn

The fading of hummingbirds, butterflies and leaves brings both melancholy and exquisite beauty.

By Margaret Renkl

In Your Words

Re “I Now Mispronounce You the Likely Next Mayor of New York City”:

I think “Mamdani” is actually really quite easy to say, and I’m pretty sure many of these public figure heads who are mispronouncing his name would take the time to get it right if he were one of their big money donors. — A comment posted by Rhonda from Pennsylvania

Read more comments on the story here and check out our Letters to the Editor.

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