Sorry for the delay.
by Kali4niaND (2024-02-16 12:18:23)

In reply to: I’ll respond tomorrow.  posted by Kali4niaND

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When I look at America, I see an imperfect nation formed with the idea of becoming more perfect. To that end, we've dealt with slavery, women's suffrage, Jim Crow, civil rights, voting rights, gay rights, etc., all in pursuit of that ideal. But still, we've always been, and likely always will be, a 'work in progress.'

So, I try to look at things and ask, "Are we making progress?" Not, "Are we there yet?" or "When will we be there?". But, "Are we getting better, moving forward, working on the problems?" And in America 2024, I think we are. Sometimes quickly, sometimes far too slowly, but still, forward.

We're a heterogeneous group here in the PBR. Yet, you can see the vast differences of opinions we have between us. Even with such common upbringings and interests, we still find it challenging sometimes to knit together a solution. Now, throw together all of the other cultural, ethnic, economic, and religious blocs in this country. Many different sets of concerns, opinions, solutions, etc., get thrown into the mix that maybe even our tiny PBR group doesn't understand. That makes moving forward highly challenging, sometimes. It takes men and women of goodwill and faith to work through those challenges and find a path forward. That goes for most public policy issues today.

Funny, as I was gathering my thoughts and writing this, I stumbled on David Brook's column "The Cure for What Ails Our Democracy" in yesterday's NYT (linked below). And it struck a chord with me because it accurately depicts where we are today. We've become so polarized as a nation that every disagreement or difference of opinion becomes a battle between 'good' and 'evil' that my side must win. Instead of looking at the good on the other side, we focus on the bad and build up these impediments to progress that leave us stuck in the mud.

That's certainly an immense frustration for me. But I don't get the 'shame' you say you feel. Or the disgust Brahms feels. I may get the cynicism that Marine Domer feels. There are plenty of men and women of goodwill on all sides. They need to be empowered, and the charlatans, grifters, and hucksters cast aside.

We've never been a perfect nation. We've never had 'it' and lost 'it.' It has always eluded us. Likewise, we'll always have challenges, both foreign and domestic. History waxes and wanes

My frustrations with the current state of affairs do not make me hopeless. The generations behind us have the energy, goodwill, and ability to work across interest groups to get us unstuck and move forward again. We needed to cede power over to them nearly a decade ago. Once we can make that transition, the wheels will turn again.

I'm appreciative of the job that President Biden has done. He's willing to work hard to find common ground and accomplish things. He has a steady hand and competent people under him to handle many of our foreign challenges.

Domestically, I'm a massive fan of the 'Build Back Better' framework. We've gone decades where we haven't publicly invested in America. To that end, the [ill-named] Inflation Reduction Act, CHiPs Act, and other aspects of that framework are focused on those areas of our country that have been under-invested in forever, regardless of whether they are red state or blue. And those policies are also bringing private investment into solving many of these issues.

More work needs to be done to deliver quality healthcare to all Americans. Better solutions are also needed for housing and education so that future generations have a positive American experience.

But yes, overall, I'm optimistic. Mostly because I see the quality of people in our upcoming generations. They really are a group of amazing people.



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