The Eyes of Lincoln
I sometimes wonder if we should still be a union. We seem to be fundamentally divided basically like we were during the Civil War. Not ‘North’ and ‘South’, but ‘Blue’ and ‘Red’.
In the Pacific Northwest we have long bandied about the concept of ‘Cascadia’ as (depending on who you ask) the west coast states and British Columbia seceding from our countries and forming a new country.
I’d rather it be more like the European Union and have a bunch of the east coast states (and basically other so called Blue states) join as well. In fact maybe it should just BE the European Union??
Looking up at Lincoln today I thought about all that his stone eyes have witnessed.
57 years ago he witnessed the original March on Washington - and many of the issues being addressed and the aspects of institutional racism being protested are the same today.
It is my personal opinion that the so called ‘grand experiment’ of democracy + capitalism has failed - or at least the findings are ‘that is a bad and untenable idea’.
I think that America is literally a failed state and Trump and the state of the union are both symptoms and proof of that.
The way that COVID-19 has ripped through the US - the wealthiest country in the world.
The way that the US has 4% of the world's population but 25% of its coronavirus cases - that is a clear indication of a failed state.
Things failing and breaking and ending is not all negative. Things must end for new things to begin. It is a good thing when bad things end, when bad systems fail. For example it will be wonderful when you won’t be able to sell a gas burning car because the fossil fuel system has failed - and the only car worth owning will be an electric car.
I am a humanist before I am a patriot. Tribalism and nationalism (a type of tribalism) are diseases.
In a healthy country with a functioning government the welfare of the citizens is the highest priority of the government. And when the government doesn’t act in the best interest of the people then that government is replaced (and sometimes jailed - Iceland).
I don’t think there is a way back from the two-party system and the ownership of the government by profit seeking entities. Bernie Sanders had a platform that was clearly meant to put the welfare of the citizens above other priorities - mainly profit. The systemic antibodies, the protectors and champions and beneficiaries of the status quo pooled their resources and derailed his campaign. One example was Bloomberg (and the DNC’s changing the rules to allow his brief and disruptive entry into the race) - ridiculously transparent.
I haven’t researched this site or looked at how they are using the money they raise, but this page does a good job of paraphrasing the problems and the study that lays them out.
Lincoln saved the union, but I think he might agree today that it likely needs to dissolve so that something better can take its place.
Sad, but true.
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