The Morning Rant: Minimalist Edition

American Exceptionalism! What a grand and glorious thing...driven by (among other things) the self selection of exactly who comes here. Until fairly recently it was incredibly difficult just to arrive on our shores. Weeks or months-long voyages with no guarantee that one would survive the trip, only to arrive in America and have to fend for one's self. No immigrant support system for 16th (or 17th or 18th or 19th or even 20th) century arrivals!

And imagine the decision to leave Bavaria or Prussia or Ireland or Holland or Sweden or Poland or Russia Italy or any of the other sclerotic and rigid countries that sent its most adventurous and brave citizens to our shores. Nothing was sure for these people; it was a great unknown, they knew it would be incredibly difficult, yet they did it!

And the result is the greatest country in the history of the world. Sure, there are places with better discrete things. Mass transit is one: I'll take the London underground or the Paris Metro any day over the NYC or San Francisco or Chicago transit systems. And European trains are great! French and Italian food? Ooh la la! The list goes on and on, but add them all up, and what do you get? Because you have to consider everything, not just the good stuff in Europe and the rest of the developed world. Count everything, like our incredible physical beauty, and amazing room for everything, and our freedom to do whatever the hell we want, which is buttressed by our flawed but still amazing Constitution, not to mention big washing machines and great air conditioning and big cars and endless vistas and huge houses and great barbecue and an absolutely incredible ethos that makes the low trust societies of most countries on earth a miserable and pale and diminished reflection of us.

The United States of America is the greatest country in the world! Yet there are many among us who see this wonderful place as irredeemably broken, and a place to sneer at and mock and yes...hate.

What happened to the Democrats of America? Are they so coddled and soft and unappreciative that they despise the very thing that created the conditions necessary for them to be free to have their vile opinions? Only 36% of them are proud of their country? Have they finally been co-opted by the progressives in their midst who fervently desire a socialist hell hole in place of America? Has the never-ending drumbeat of denigration of America coming from off our shores finally taken effect? Has the long march through our institutions that was designed to destroy the concept of American Exceptionalism among our youth finally bearing fruit for the socialists?

The answer of course is: Yes to all!

But the next question is: what can we do about it?

I think that the Trump administration's efforts to hold Harvard University accountable for teaching the very things that lead to Democrat hatred of America is a powerful broadside in defense of American Exceptionalism, and it is hopefully the first of many such efforts.

The Department of Defense is doing a huge amount to destroy the post-modern malaise that has infected our armed forces, and a rejuvenated and vigorous armed forces is a valuable counterweight to hatred of country.

The Department of State, led by the impressive Marco Rubio has shifted the onus of legal entrance into America onto those who wish to come here. If they break the rules, their visas are withdrawn! No more visitors who preach against us.

The Justice Department, in fits and starts, is attacking the premise of that twisted, culture-destroying lunacy of transexualism. No boys competing with girls!

That is a snapshot of what the government is doing, but there is much more to be done, and it must be done by all of us. Love of country is not passive, it is an active part of life, and must be pursued lest it wither.

Is your local high school flying the gay flag alongside the American flag? Go complain at a school board meeting. Does your workplace have a flag pole? If not, suggest one that flies our flag...proudly. Does your idiot 2nd cousin jabber during Thanksgiving dinner about the evils of white supremacist America? Give him a gentle lesson in reality. Write letters to your local paper, shop at businesses that support America, and tell the ones that don't why they aren't getting your money.

There are so many things that we can do to defend America from those who would tear it down. Maybe you can't do all of them, but perhaps you can do one of them...every day...every week...every month!

Being proud of America isn't difficult; there is so much to be proud of!

[Crossposted at CutJibNewsletter and X/Twitter] And the Apple and Spotify feeds for CJN's podcast should be working!

PS. Some of you might be aware that long-time commenter "Jay Guevara" passed away recently. In addition to his erudite comments on a wide range of topics, including his profession as a professor of chemistry and later in the private sector, he contributed to AoSHQ as an Open Blogger on the general topic of "Science Isn't Dead, But It Is Ailing."

I had the pleasure of meeting him and his charming wife, and we had many discussions over the years about pretty much everything, including his lifelong attachment to baseball, both as a player (he played organized ball for most of his life) and as a knowledgeable fan. He also joined me and J.J. Sefton on our podcast a couple of times. He was a polymath, with the insatiable curiosity of someone who is fascinated by the world. In our conversations I could always count on his rigorous and logical perspective, and it was a joy!

He leaves his wife and son, about whom he bragged and bragged!

He will be missed.

posted by CBD at 11:00 AM

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