Fourth of July
Today we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence as a new nation separating ourselves from Great Britain. Our forefathers came here as a group of immigrants and settled on new land to create a new nation with a different set of laws from where they came from. They were entrepreneurs and I must note again that they were immigrants.
Our nation is in a flux of change that seems to be pulling away from the moral foundation this country was built on. Perhaps we need to go one place to get to another. As an eternal optimist, I want to believe that we somehow need to get to this point in order to get to somewhere better.
I could rant and rage about the slew of things that are happening in our country right now but I won’t. I only want to feel good about being an American and right now I am confused and saddened. But today, I am going to enjoy the day with family and friends and believe that tomorrow will be a better day. This too shall pass.
Comments (Archived):
Thanks for this!I am as well quite pensive but finding some joy in the winks of great artists this morning.http://arnoldwaldstein.com/…Have a great day.
.Our Founding Fathers were not immigrants.Geo Washington’s, Father of our country, family had been in the New World for almost a century by the time he was born. He never visited England in his entire life. He was born in Popes Colony, Virginia.Ben Franklin, known as The First Citizen, was born in Boston.Thomas Jefferson, primary author of the Declaration of Independence and graduate of Wm & Mary, was born in Shadwell in Virginia.The fact that these men were not immigrants and citizens of the New World and the English Colonies was, in fact, a critical element in their rebellion against the English King. They did not submit to his laws as “subjects”. This is a critical factor in understanding from whence the American Revolution was spawned.The King made it easy by imposing a series of punitive “acts” against the restive Colonies over a decade. He made it clear that the Colonies were his and the Colonials were his subjects. This relationship is exactly what we rebelled against.The Founding Fathers did not arrive in the New World with a “different set of laws”. They wrote their own laws over a decade during and after the Revolution. The US Constitution is a unique document unlike any other nation’s laws at that time. It took almost a decade to write and ratify.We can only celebrate and understand our history if we actually know it.We have much to celebrate today. Happy 4th of July!JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
No country is immune. I just tweeted to AVC that there are SO many people in the resistance! We’ll shake off this case of fleas. I just helped launch this resource today, with a great group of young folks from Kennedy School: http://resistanceschool.comI'm part of a group of tech volunteers at Ragtag.org that’s providing services to progressive candidates and organizations. We helped build the March For Our Lives site before the big march. We have hundreds of volunteers and dozens of projects! And we’re just one group.Yes, this too shall pass, so long as we keep applying lots and lots laxative ;-P
.The outcome will not be determined by resistance, but by formulating and communicating better ideas.What is the organizing theme of the resistance other than being zealously opposed to everything Trump?The only way to create momentum amongst those who actually vote is to create a superior vision. Young folks simply do not vote.Meanwhile, Pres Trump is delivering change, real change, and will run for re-election on a record of achievement on the economy, foreign affairs, SCOTUS appointments, jobs, trade, N Korea, and immigration.Meanwhile, the opposition will embrace socialism and opposition.It is hard to see how Pres Trump loses any base or independent voters while making great strides in minorities, typically reliable voting blocs.The numbers don’t change unless the ideas change.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
I am 110% sure you didn’t intend it this way, but I think we all (myself included) have to be extra careful about couching optimism in phrases like “this too shall pass.” I think for those folks who are targets of the Administration and/or their supporters, there are some things that will not pass as easily. It was Trevor Noah who made this clear for me — drawing a distinction between folks who are offended by the behavior versus those who are affected. Here’s the quote: https://twitter.com/semil/s…
Good point. I do not mean to be cavalier about that whatsoever. It will pass but not so easily for everyone.
.Those impacted are not all impacted in a negative manner; a considerable number view themselves as beneficiaries of Trump policies and actions.Speaking to the numbers only, Pres Trump had 32% support on Election Day (Rasmussen). Clearly, the votes were substantially higher than the polls indicating that the polls tended to understate Trump support.Today, Rasmussen has Pres Trump at 48% approval. There is no reason to suggest that the same polling windage is not at play here.For a frame of reference, Pres Obama polled 44% at the exact same instant in time.Also worthy of note is the 90% negative press Pres Trump has received.Allow me to unpack a few areas.1. Only 7% of Americans living today have ever served in the military, but 83% have a relative or spouse who has. Recent changes at both the Pentagon and Veterans Admin have Pres Trump polling 90%+ favorable from this slice.2. Energy, steel, coal, timber have all made employment gains because of Trump accredited policies. Again, there is a huge ripple effect.3. Black, Hispanic unemployment are at all time lows.4. Labor Force Participation Rate and wages are inching up.These are impacts which the Resistance is doing nothing to counter. Some cannot be countered.The Resistance is not organized, has no effective leadership, and has not advanced any countervailing governing philosophy.It is difficult to see how Pres Trump fails to do exactly what the numbers predict – win a comfortable re-election.In writing this comment, I have stripped it bare of feeling or emotion. Facts. Numbers.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
Yes, would not argue with the data — there are many things happening, of course, which can’t (yet) be measured by data and could have real negative long-term effects.
The long term effects scares the hell out of me
.No doubt.”Kicks as hard as it shoots” – meaning it goes both ways.Three weeks is a lifetime in politics.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
Good point and well clarified.