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Happy Birthday, Dear Country
Jul. 4th, 2024 11:36 amI posted an Independence Day greeting in 2018 (when the late Senator McCain was suffering from terminal cancer), and I think that I would do well to repeat it now:
Happy Birthday, dear country.
I saw a cartoon in the form of a card saying “Get well soon,” addressed to the GOP, and signed by John McCain.
Get well soon, dear country. Please recover from your infatuation with a demagogue and buffoon. He isn’t good enough for you, dear country. He doesn’t really love you, or appreciate what makes you special, even though he says he’ll make you great again. He’s likely to hurt you badly if you let him. And it’s not just him: even after he dies, or loses an election, or is exposed, impeached, and removed from office, there will be others like him, trying to follow in his footsteps. There will also be radicals of the left, claiming to be the alternative to him and his pack of sycophants, fascists, and alt-right cockroaches.
I’d like to say you’re better than that, but face it, sometimes you haven’t been. Sometimes you’ve given your affections to demagogues, Klanscum, and fools before. And yet, you have your ideals and worthy traditions, even if you haven’t always lived up to them. Sometimes you have listened to the better angels of your nature, elected wise and decent men, even if they were flawed as all mortals are flawed, set injustices to right, and left the demagogues of the left and right to harangue supporters gathered in telephone booths.
Nonetheless, I have hope for you. Happy Birthday, many happy returns, and may better birthdays come. May you come to reject the yahoos, give ear to the wise, and address your real problems.
One thing which I did not foresee six years ago was that in 2024, disgraced ex-President Trump would have a good prospect of becoming the second man to serve two non-consecutive terms as President of the United States, although in his case, “disserve” might be the more appropriate verb. I will attempt no further political analysis; there is a holiday to celebrate, and for now, we still have a free if imperfect country. Come what may, let us strive to practice fortitude, and do what we can to put and keep our nation on the right path.
Happy Birthday, dear country.
I saw a cartoon in the form of a card saying “Get well soon,” addressed to the GOP, and signed by John McCain.
Get well soon, dear country. Please recover from your infatuation with a demagogue and buffoon. He isn’t good enough for you, dear country. He doesn’t really love you, or appreciate what makes you special, even though he says he’ll make you great again. He’s likely to hurt you badly if you let him. And it’s not just him: even after he dies, or loses an election, or is exposed, impeached, and removed from office, there will be others like him, trying to follow in his footsteps. There will also be radicals of the left, claiming to be the alternative to him and his pack of sycophants, fascists, and alt-right cockroaches.
I’d like to say you’re better than that, but face it, sometimes you haven’t been. Sometimes you’ve given your affections to demagogues, Klanscum, and fools before. And yet, you have your ideals and worthy traditions, even if you haven’t always lived up to them. Sometimes you have listened to the better angels of your nature, elected wise and decent men, even if they were flawed as all mortals are flawed, set injustices to right, and left the demagogues of the left and right to harangue supporters gathered in telephone booths.
Nonetheless, I have hope for you. Happy Birthday, many happy returns, and may better birthdays come. May you come to reject the yahoos, give ear to the wise, and address your real problems.
One thing which I did not foresee six years ago was that in 2024, disgraced ex-President Trump would have a good prospect of becoming the second man to serve two non-consecutive terms as President of the United States, although in his case, “disserve” might be the more appropriate verb. I will attempt no further political analysis; there is a holiday to celebrate, and for now, we still have a free if imperfect country. Come what may, let us strive to practice fortitude, and do what we can to put and keep our nation on the right path.
