Where will the current arc of history take America?  No one really knows or can even begin to conceptualize or predict.  However, from my vantage point, I am extremely concerned because of what I observe across our country.  Structural changes are beginning to tear apart the fabric of American society.

I see many protests against the status quo and the traditions and symbols of our country.  I would prefer to see what people are for, not what they are against.  Being against some aspect of our society is relatively easy.  Any fool can “sloganize” a complicated subject that is totally misunderstood and is not defined.  “End systemic racism” and “no human beings are illegal” are two such placard postings that appear on television.

Being for something requires reading, reflecting, and deep thinking, as well as bringing people of diverse backgrounds and opinions together to discuss the various policy or life options that present themselves.  Many, if not most Americans, are too lazy, too distracted by the minutiae of life, and outer-focused (professional sports, American Idol, reality television shows, etc.) to do the deep thinking, reflecting, and discussing that is required to develop an informed opinion on any issue, minor or major. Most people just respond emotionally or with what they hear on the news or from their friends.

I see outrage as the default position on so many events that occur regardless of the actual facts.  If we are outraged by everything, then nothing really deserves outrage. There must be a hierarchy and discrimination of response or attitude. How can everything generate outrage?

I see a lack of integrity, courage, grace, and humility in our elected representatives, professional athletes, and even corporate executives. Senators and congressmen call for press conferences at the drop of a hat to pontificate and posture. Professional athletes pound their chests and preen on the field or court. Company CEOs in the private sector buy into the “wokeness” that pervades our daily discourse.  They never miss a chance to tell us how to behave and what to believe.

I see too many young people who think or believe that socialism is the answer to all our problems.  When in fact, it is the answer to none.  Socialism is one of those movements that have a false pedigree.  It sounds wonderful on paper but its execution requires coercion and a loss of individual freedom. We are seeing that in the rise of the surveillance state and escalating control of day-to-day life and decisions in America.

I see too much-centralized power at all levels of government. This centralized power is without accountability because politicians have no skin in the game. Moreover, the link to We the People has been all but broken.

Will the end game be a totalitarian society worse than Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” or George Orwell’s “Ninety Eighty-Four”?  The only light at the end of the tunnel that I see is the rise of bitcoin as a digital asset, decentralized finance, and other use cases in the crypto-sphere.  The crypto world is a movement for personal freedom, privacy, and independence.  Maybe there is hope after all.

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Cordially,

Andrew J Guinosso (aka Old White Beard)