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Village Idiot's avatar

Happy independence day to the greatest country I've had the privilege of knowing (and I've known a few).

Despite legitimate and imagined grievances, I hope you will join me in actively THINKING HARD how we can protect it because- make no mistake- if America weakens no other nation UK, France, NZ, Australia, Sweden) will survive as a liberal democracy.

This is my first 4th of July after gaining my American citizenship on January 25th. It wasn't an easy decision because India doesn't allow dual citizenship. Giving up my Indian passport was heart breaking, but as a mediator and peacebuilder I've learned that everything good comes at a price. Life is nothing but tradeoffs- and this has been a big one for me.

America is where my life is now and I am totally committed to the best values of this country. Just as I wouldn't want people to judge me by my worst qualities or mistakes, I wouldn't judge America by its worst moments- as so many seem eager to do. It breaks my heart to see native born Americans- and recent immigrants, students and visitors alike- spew hatred towards this country.

Tellingly, I didn't receive even a single Happy Independence day message today- whereas from 1995-2005 when I lived here my inbox was always filled with 4th of July greetings. This doesn't augur well for us as a nation. How can we protect something if we don't love or celebrate it? Would you try to save your marriage by attacking your spouse?

So, at this moment of existential danger I feel a special responsibility towards my adopted nation. If you believe your elected government is too 'EVIL' to support- you don't want a democracy- you only want your own little dictatorship. Remember the commies and their "dictatorship of the proletariat"?

Anger, protest and resistance ain't going to help us save ourselves in a world that has slipped out of American control. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's rise, and the global backlash against the pro-immigration, diversity elite, attacking Trump is a waste of energy. As I've been teaching for years- American salvation requires rethinking the democratic contract between citizens and the government. Attacking yesterday's grievances are a dangerous distraction when tomorrow's extinction is just around the corner. Never were JFK's words more relevant "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country".

Frankly, we should ask ourselves if "We the People" are good enough for American Democracy. Perhaps if Independence has to mean anything at all, we need to dedicate ourselves to becoming worthy of the highest values of the United States of America, not gripe about the lowest. We should celebrate the flawed people who gave so much so that YOU and I can complain about this visionary, brilliant (and spectacularly flawed) nation.

Much love,

Ashok

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Lukas Bird's avatar

Yascha - Obama1 (I voted for him) was a fair effort for Progressives. He sought to represent us all - while the GOP was not fair to him. Obama2 (I voted for him again) shifted his focus toward the social elevation of the civil rights marginalized. Bernie sought to shift this to Coke Classic Marxism - class struggle - while Hilary doubled down on Obama identity politics. Meanwhile, the Academy churned out eager young Marxists to castigate us all with the new viral weapon of social media. Trump’s win created the devil’s bargain of the Left: its young activists would supply the resistance time + energy if the old centrists would supply access to the institutions it led. This created a super-charged focus and rapid distribution of extreme Leftist dogma the centrists severely underestimated in its deep unpopularity. Trump2 is the repudiation of this cycle. This overreach. He leads the immuno response of the normal people in this country. The boring people. The ones the Left stopped caring about. The ones the Left actively attacked. Calling us racists, and bigots, and deplorable, and every “phobe” they could possibly remember from Yale Humanities. This is why Trump wins. He is the radiation for the cancer of the Left. That actively attacked the healthy bone and tissue of this nation’s polity. It’s why the Left tries in vain to tweak messages for men. We know they hate us. No lip sticking that pig. Trump’s shift back to the needs of the many vs the Left’s needs of the few feels sickening like chemotherapy makes you nauseous and loses your hair. But cancer isn’t our norm. It is the social sickness we must overcome so the body doesn’t die.

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