The MAGA jingoes are deeply detached from the ideas and ideals of the United States. Their philosophy is antithetical to the American creed, and is oppositional to the concept of freedom as an individual birthright. They prefer it be apportioned by race, birthright, gender and religion at the discretion of a political cadre that rules by decree and whim. They have become unmoored from the concept of America and the idea that sustains it.
There has never been a nation like America. It is the only country in world history founded on the power of an idea. It is the most powerful ever put to paper by the mind of man. It is a simple declaration:
“All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The birth of the United States was an epic event. It ruptured history. When independence was achieved at the battle of Yorktown the Marquis de Lafayette exclaimed, “Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has its country.”
Lafayette believed the spread of freedom, including the abolition of slavery and colonialism, would flow as an inexorable outcome of the American revolution. He believed deeply that the United States was both the hope of mankind and the salvation of Europe.
Lafayette bade America farewell on the edge of its 50th birthday — as we stand today at the edge of the 250th. America is the only nation in the world made up of all of the people of the world, where every language is spoken every day.
The United States has fed, cured, clothed, liberated, educated and inspired more people than all of the world’s countries put together since the beginning of time. The American nation is deeply imperfect, while being more perfect than any experiment in governance and justice that has ever been attempted. American progress and the momentum towards justice are an unfolding event.
The struggle between its advancement and retreat are at the center of our politics and current crisis. There can be no certainty about what side will prevail, other than the comforting reality that America remains unbowed against its enemies and the forces of hate, violence and oppression.
The years ahead will see a great contest play out between a toxic extremism and traditional patriotism. Patriotism is about love and service. Extremism is a vessel for hatred, violence and death. The battle between the two is very real. The outcome will determine the peace and prosperity of our children’s future.
Surely the opening words that precede your quote in the Declaration matter, too "We hold these truths to be self-evident..."
Self-evident. As if, once a reasonable person sees or hears, then thinks about, the great truth that all people are created equal, it would be obvious to all.
The MAGA world rejects such universal rights. Instead, they offer a Hobbesian universe of misery, struggle, and death, one where ordinary citizens walk the streets of everyday heavily armed with killing weaponry, and political power is once again found in the barrel of those guns.
In MAGA world, the Creator's gifts only belong to those who can win or steal power. George Santos can serve in Congress after lying his way to election. But drag queens can no longer sing and dance, because a state government says, "No.".
We need to work on the "self-evident" part.
I don’t anticipate this will be solved in a few years. This battle will go for a decade at least. Time goes slow whilst your in it. History won’t be kind to the extremist.
The world is watching.