There used to be a United States of America. It was at a time when the American people worked together, sacrificed together, achieved together and rejoiced together. That august body, in a short two hundred years, had developed into the premier political, social and economic miracle, a powerhouse for good, honored and respected the world over. Regrettable it has now been replaced by two opposing political orders; the Semi-United Republicans of America and the Sometimes-United Democrats of America. And never the twain shall meet, except on the field of battle. The word ‘united’ has lost its meaning and the word ‘compromise’ has been stricken from the American dictionary. Even the durability of these two amorphous bodies is uncertain, as fractures at key fault lines grow more apparent, triggering gridlock, while chanting “my way or no way.” What then? Will it be chaos, anarchy, and malaise? Or will the people rise up and demand from their government all those promises that have been made and broken? Will those elected to represent us look beyond their personal interests and their political party masters and pursue the best achievable solutions for the American people? Are we, “the people”, asking too much? Are we failing to live up to the traditions that have made us great – – – belief in what we can do when we do it together? Our forefathers accepted their hardships and tragedies, got up, dusted themselves off, helped each other and went on, even more determined, not only to succeed, but to excel. Can we accept any less?
- – – Just the view of a common man
Views of a Common Man 
Ollie asks, “Where is America”? Good question. His first statement, “There used to be a United States
of America” is a poignant reminder that this nation may no longer be “united”. While my comments may
not really address Ollie’s question or concerns, I share similar concerns and I would add, “Where is the
leadership?”. We have a leaderless journalistic and political culture that elevates confrontation and
reduces all issues to left and right without resolving any of them.
THE FLAG ISSUE
As an example, we can’t even agree on the flags to be flown by our embassies. U.S. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken has now authorized U.S. embassies around the world to fly LGBTQ flags and also
Black Lives Matter (BLM) flags as part of the Biden administration’s response to the one-year anniversary
of George Floyd whose death sparked outrage and a nationwide reckoning on systemic racism. While
Trump was president, however, the Senior State Department leadership asked the embassy in Seoul to
take down the Black Lives Matter sign that Ambassador Harry Harris had hung from the building’s façade.
He also had a large Pride flag which he took down.
THE STARS AND STRIPES ACT OF 2021
Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis recently introduced The Stars and Stripes Act of 2021 that would ban
Black Lives Matter and other “political” flags from flying atop United States embassies. Why is this even
an issue? The United States has one flag that is a powerful symbol of patriotism, bravery and history of
our country. Our government fails to honor that symbol when with that flag it also displays flags or banners
that encourage and promote any group or specific organization. While it seems shameful that the political
parties cannot even agree on this issue, Ghandi did say that honest disagreement is often a good sign of
progress.
ANIMOSITY BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS
Experts say the animosity between Democrats and Republicans has been festering for decades, driven
by a growing ideological divide between the parties and amplified by social media and cable TV news.
Political economists seem to find that the U.S. is polarizing faster than other democracies around the world.
Nevertheless, Robert Talisse, a Vanderbilt University philosophy professor who studies political polarization,
contends that everyone wants a more congenial, less-heated and less-aggressive brand of politics, but we
also think the aggressors are only the people on the other side. Nevertheless, there is hope if Madeleine
Albright was correct when she said, “Our predecessors understood that the ties that bind America are far
stronger than disagreements over any particular policy and far more durable and profound than any party
affiliation”.
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Spot on Jeanette – – as always.
Sent from my iPad
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