If a country is an extended family, we have become dysfunctional

Growing up in the three-bedroom home where three generations lived and huddled, we had the occasional family drama and sibling squabbles. When we had difficulties, my grandfather, who revered Confucius as his patriarch, would gather us to help each other out. The extended family was our refuge. Today, however, I see the nuclear family becoming the norm. Privacy and timeout from the mob are more valued over blood ties. Unresolved issues between distant kin and reminders of less pleasant memories lead to fewer and shorter muted charts.