Channeling my inner SFBadger, I thought for our nation’s 250th birthday I should take the time to publicly express why I love this country. Somewhat begrudgingly, I have removed some paragraphs in an effort to adhere to the rules of this board. Those of you who are connected with me on the Book of Faces can find the full version. Though I didn't trim much.
(WARNING: Long)
Political and Moral
The first modern, large constitutional republic–our country’s founding and its continued endurance demonstrated that a large nation could be governed through elected representatives, separation of powers, and prescribed limits to power, as opposed to monarchy or aristocracy. Our success has subsequently inspired constitutional movements in both Europe and Latin America.
The Bill of Rights–the protections for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and due process have also become immensely influential world-wide. Many governments’ founding documents today borrow heavily from these principles.
The peaceful transfer of power–the American tradition of transferring governance through elections rather than coups became a model for other democracies. Precedents such as George Washington voluntarily leaving office (causing King George III to say of him “He must be the greatest man in the world”) was historically significant in an age where leaders of militaries and/or governments sought lifelong rules.
Abolition of slavery–the USA was amongst the first to abolish slavery nationwide. The removal of that institution, particularly in the face of its embedment in the economic and political system, was remarkable for its time. Once again, that abolition victory influenced numerous other anti-slavery movements around the world.
The Civil Rights movement–abolition did not fix our ills overnight. From racial equality under the law, to women’s suffrage, there is not a better record of prolonged, nonviolent social reform in modern history than the American Civil Rights movement.
Charitable giving and humanitarian aid–the US is the most generous source of financial help as well as the donation of goods and services via private philanthropy through charities, religious organizations, hospitals, and disaster relief organizations, and via government initiatives. No other country comes close.
Global contributions to freedom
Defeat of Nazi Germany–American military, industrial, and economic power played a crucial role in the Allied victory in WWII. The defeat of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan helped end some of the most destructive and oppressive regimes in history. And if you’ve never heard the story of Japan’s surrender to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, MacArthur’s help in drafting Japan’s current constitution, and the emperor’s shock and disbelief that they would not be killed or treated cruelly, it’s one worth learning about.
The Marshall Plan–after WWII, rather than simply occupying defeated nations, the USA invested heavily in reconstruction, helping to rebuild much of Western Europe, and helping to create decades of stability and prosperity.
Scientific milestones and technological achievements
The Moon Landing–The Apollo program which culminated in the first human landing on the Moon in 1969 remains one of humanity’s greatest technological accomplishments.
The Internet–US researchers and various American institutions played the leading role in creating the technologies that became what we know as the modern internet. Despite legitimate concerns in the following categories, the positive economic, educational, and social effects can’t be overstated.
Aviation–the first successful airplane flight by the Wright brothers transformed both transportation and warfare.
Medical research–our universities, labs, and various agencies have produced the greatest and most rapid advancements the medical world has ever seen. These include cancer treatments, greater understanding of genetics, vaccine development, MRI technology, and a host of other medical leaps forward.
The Human Genome Project–America was a leading participant in the international effort which mapped the human genome, which fundamentally changed biology and medicine.
Agricultural Innovation–American scientists significantly contributed to modern agricultural techniques. Should you think this is some small, trivial thing, be assured it is not. Our advancements have helped increase food production worldwide.
Cultural contributions
Music–jazz is one of America’s most original artistic contributions and has influenced music everywhere. Blues, Country, Rock, and Pop music were birthed here and have done nothing less than help shape culture worldwide.
Hollywood and modern film–The American film industry became the dominant force in global cinema for most of the 20th century.
Literature–American writers such as Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and Edgar Allan Poe made indelible contributions to world literature. Poets such as Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and Robert Frost captured the imagination of generations with their timeless verse and their profound insights into nature, humanity, and the American experience.
The American Dream–whether perfectly realized or not, the idea that ordinary people could rise through talent, work, and opportunity shattered millenia-old beliefs accepted elsewhere nearly universally and became one of the most influential social ideas in history.
Economic and institutional achievements
Building the world’s largest economy–the US became the largest economy in history and a center of innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrial development. This resulted in the highest standard of living for the average citizen ever seen, and a redefinition of the conditions of those living in poverty, relative to the rest of the world and history.
Research Universities–Institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and many others have made America a global leader in science and scholarship.
Attracting talent from around the world–scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs from every continent have, for generations, chosen to build their lives in the US. This interacts heavily with and is a result of other points, but the ability to draw great thinkers to our shores is its own feather in America’s cap.
My thoughts
I don’t want to be misunderstood. I make no claims of perfection. We haven’t always gotten it right. At times our nation, fundamentally directed by We The People, have strayed from the mark. In some instances, horrendously so.
But I can distinguish between the good and noble ideals set forth in our nation’s founding, worthy of my admiration and celebration, and the notable failures of its people to live up to those lofty goals. I can applaud the vision for a future many founders set forth, even as I recognize their inability to achieve it. Some of them recorded for posterity that which they knew we must inevitably work towards and achieve, even as they acknowledged their own lack of immediate remedy. They hoped that the American citizens yet to come would build on the principles they strove to endow, so that necessary change might come in due course.
And so many have done that. And we have so many reasons to expect we will continue. We can take pride, rejoicing in the efforts of past generations. And we can take great hope in the efforts of those generations to come. But may we never disregard the importance of our own time, our own actions.
I also don’t want to claim falsehoods.
I make no claims that America either conceived the idea of a self-governing constitutional republic or that she was the first to experiment with it. There had been earlier examples. But the USA was unprecedented in attempting it in a large nation and not merely a city-state such as Athens. And it was novel insofar as sovereignty resting ultimately with the people, separation of powers, federalism, and regular elections, among other aspects. Many educated Europeans expected it to fail. They expected failure for a reason. No version quite like ours had been seen, and no other version had survived. Our success is important because it helped convince much of the world that a representative self-government was practical. During the 19th and 20th centuries, constitutional republics spread across the world, frequently drawing directly from the American example.
I make no claims that America either conceived of or first implemented free enterprise and economic liberty. Markets existed long before America and people bought and sold goods for thousands of years before our nation came to be. What was new was the strong protections for private property, the relatively low barriers to entrepreneurship, the freedom for anyone to start a business or move between occupations, among other things. 18th century European business life was often constrained by guild systems, aristocratic privileges, restrictions on social mobility, and state monopolies. America’s inestimable contribution was not originating ideas found in John Locke, Adam Smith, or Montesquieu; rather it was in successfully implementing those ideas on a continental scale.
I make no claims that we have arrived at the ideal society. Only that its ideals have motivated an upward trajectory. It is the trajectory that I celebrate, and which I fear too many today ignore in blindness while shaking their angry fist at our not having arrived.
250 years later, we must continue to adhere to these ideals. We must continue to strive for a better, more equitable society. To find new ways to uphold and push forward the ideals on which our nation is founded. We may not have arrived at the best we can be, but we can celebrate having been the best, while still marching onward and upward. I reiterate an earlier point; it is the ideals and the trajectory we celebrate, not the finished product. To borrow and adapt the words of the Preamble, may we, the people of the United States, continuously strive for a more perfect Union, to establish justice, to insure domestic tranquility, to provide for the common defense, to promote the general welfare, and to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
Happy 250th birthday, America! You are my home, and I am your proud son. May God continue to shed His grace on thee.
--MDT, 7/3/26
