America Is Doing Just Fine

5OClockShadow7 years ago

I can’t believe some of the panicked drivel I’ve been reading across the internet all through 2017 about how doomed this country is and how we need to “hang in there.” Even more dramatic, there’s the Washington Post’s cheesy slogan — “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” Trust me, though: this country is nowhere near getting trampled by the four horsemen of the apocalypse. America is still the greatest country on Earth, and we will always be a beacon of freedom.

If you ignore the president’s stupid tweets, his personality, his militant sycophants, and all the doomsday articles by the people who pushed for his opponent last year (and there are people on both sides of the aisle writing these), it’s actually been a pretty good year. Unemployment is down, wages are up, the economy has solid growth, and consumer confidence is up. And that’s not because of the president; that’s because of American ingenuity. The people are what make America great, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, income, or political persuasion. You and me. All of us. The sweat, blood, and tears we put in day in and day out. If some overgrown, insecure child in the White House wants to tweet at LaVar freaking Ball, I don’t care. It doesn’t affect me, really. As long as Americans are allowed to continue to do what we do best: take advantage of our freedoms to do great things.

We have guaranteed rights. We have the best, most robust economy in the world. We have the best legal system in the world. We’re far from perfect, but there’s nowhere better on Earth. Our only real problem? Divisiveness. But division is a choice. Don’t be part of the problem; be part of the solution. Instead of assuming those who disagree with you are evil or ignorant, you can choose to at least explore and understand their point of view. We don’t all need to agree. We need to coexist. And that’s on us as Americans.

Don’t “hang in there” and hope the winds will magically change. That’s childish. The fact is that often people’s motivations are not anywhere near as horrible as the pundits tell us. Be polite to people who disagree with you. Being a good American, let alone being a good person, is so much more than politics. Let’s all hate each other for other reasons that matter, like sports.

America is fine. Regardless of your politics, at least half the time the government will be run by people with whom you strongly disagree. I loathed the previous president and I didn’t vote for the current one. And yet life goes on. It’s not the end of the world. America goes on. And life is no worse today than it was the past ten years. In many ways it’s better, and much of it has nothing to do with politics.

2017 was a good year, and 2018 is poised to be even better. 2018 will be what you make it, so stop acting like the world is ending, grow up, and make the world a better place..