The World Is on Fire, but I'm Hopeful
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year
The year is coming to a close and this will be my last published piece of 2023. We could all use a break to reset, refresh, and reflect on where we are, personally and collectively.
I also want to plan how to make critical thinking cool again in 2024. Especially ahead of a little election we have coming up here in the United States.
Democracy is at stake. And I mean that seriously. When I say the world is on fire, I mean it. Look around.
House Republicans here in the United States have already left for vacation - they’re done for the year despite not passing a budget and not agreeing on whether to help fund Ukraine. Their message to Ukrainians on the front lines, fighting to preserve democracy in Europe: Merry Christmas and you’re on your own now against a much stronger and bigger adversary intent on rebuilding a new version of the Soviet Union.
Back at home, I see Donald Trump leading President Joe Biden in polling in seven crucial swing states. That’s despite his promise to be a dictator on day 1 and to retaliate against his political enemies. Nobody currently willing to vote for him is bothered enough by the 4 criminal indictments and over 90 felonies that could land him in prison for the rest of his life.
These voters simply feel they are worse off than they were four years ago. Trump may appeal to them because he’s unfiltered and from their perspective, a straight-shooter. The Biden Administration must counter this narrative with the voluminous evidence of his broken promises (e.g., how much he added to the national debt and the fact Mexico never paid for a border wall), abhorrent acts that undermined democracy (see January 6th), and overall moral depravity (found civilly liable of sexual assault!).
Democracy is on the ballot here in the United States. If you’re not taking it seriously for what that could mean for not only America - but the world - you’re not taking yourself seriously. All of our lives could demonstrably change.
The United States could withdraw its unwavering support of NATO. Russia could in turn act more aggressively. So could China, particularly against Taiwan. Iran would be emboldened too. Any autocracy would feel empowered by a more autocratic America that increasingly looks inward and doesn’t engage in foreign theaters of influence.
Domestically, Trump will likely make good on his promises of retribution against his political enemies. Anyone who speaks ill of him or disagrees with his policies is at risk. From employees in the executive branch - lifelong civil servants whom he views as threats - to anyone voicing a dissenting opinion on social media, if Trump becomes President again, expect no mercy.
There will be fewer guardrails this time - only yes-men in his cabinet, a more conservative Supreme Court, and an entire Republican infrastructure that is full Trumpian (see the Heritage Foundation’s shift from establishment Republican to Trump Republican).
Anything perceived as woke or liberal in modern society will be under assault too. The Moms For Liberty political group has already led this charge, despite their sex scandals which I described (in a viral post) on TikTok.
Liberals can go too far with social justice curricula, but modern conservatives go too far with censorship. Books by Toni Morrison and Margaret Atwood, for example, should not be banned by any school or public library. Simply because a book includes a character with two dads shouldn’t qualify it for banning either.
Yet liberal thinking is under assault. Immigrants are under assault too. Trump recently repeated a line directly from Adolf Hitler himself - that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” This should be indicative to any recent immigrant that Trump and the Republican machine that supports him do not have their best interests at heart.
Expect more “Muslim bans”, more anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric, and more blame caste at outsiders for American society's woes. The latter is a tale as old as time - blame the immigrants or outcasts of society (see Jews) for any problems.
Speaking of Jews, disgusting waves of antisemitism have spread across America. Meanwhile, unacceptable support has been given to Israel for indiscriminate bombings of civilian populations in Gaza.
The Middle East is on fire.
We need a nuanced and compassionate thinker who will bridge the divide, not a Trumpian orc who will retaliate in antisemitic or Islamophobic ways (see Trump’s proposed and refreshed Muslim ban).
All of these issues emanate from a weaker United States. I’m willing to say that America is at its weakest since the Civil War. We are a house divided that cannot stand as is. We need a national reconciliation.
That can only happen if both Biden and Trump bow out. We need fresh blood. We need a fresh start.
We may not get that start in 2024. Absent something cataclysmic, we’re likely stuck with a repeat of the 2020 election, with even more geriatric versions of the same candidates.
But I’m still hopeful. Believe it or not.
I still contend that America has the greatest system of government ever created, despite its flaws (particularly as it relates to Presidential power). I still think America has the greatest innovative and entrepreneurial spirit the world has ever seen. I still think America has the most hope and optimism in improving the standard of living for the average person.
Some may call me naive or foolish. I call it realistic idealism. Take a stroll through American history and it’s awash with embarrassing and abysmal events. It’s messy. Democracy is not pretty, but that’s precisely the point.
We’re supposed to be at odds because we’re trying to find common ground; a commonality that we may not agree with, but that most of us can tolerate.
Whether it’s in this newsletter, my writing on Medium, or the essays on my website, it’s my mission this next year to make critical thinking cool again so we can - at least try to - tackle these immense challenges.
We cannot have a national reconciliation in America without critical thinking. We must be willing to leave our natural partisan lanes at times.
The Israel-Palestine conflict has illustrated this the best - if we cannot denounce Hamas while simultaneously denouncing Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of civilians, we’ve failed our mission of protecting human rights, safeguarding civil liberties, and promoting democracy around the world.
If you’ve joined me this far, thank you. I hope to write here more in the new year, advocating for critical thought in current events. Championing nuanced thinking. Digging into the messy bog of democracy, while honestly critiquing it and any other system of government that presents a challenge.
In today’s world, we must all be our own editors. We must assess critically any form of information we read, hear, or see. There are fewer editors and fact-checkers gatekeeping falsities, and even the ones that do have often made terrible mistakes (see the Gaza hospital bombing stories from the NYT).
We must all work to:
scrutinize sources better (what are the relevant credentials and motivations);
contextualize current events through existing and historical lenses;
consider what people are saying on the ground instead of solely from ivory towers far afield; and
reading more long-form content to appreciate the full context of not only human events but the relevant human nature issues at play (something we cannot derive from short-form content).
So here’s to thinking critically more in the new year. Here’s also to hope and optimism.
Remember: the arc of justice in the world has historically pointed to the good. Despite the world being on fire many times before.