Readers: this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020). Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution. More about the Revenge Revolution, a list of earlier revolutions and the author, Entry #1.
Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether in the next few years, a revolution in the US is still possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US. Most recent sense check, Entry #332.
Entries for a few months were an intentional diversion from the craziness in Washington. Entry #352 put us back inside the Beltway.
Yes, there is hope. In this week of Thanksgiving, we should make sure to thank those who have immigrated to our country.
We just finished two weeks of testimony to the House Intelligence Committee addressing among other things whether President Trump used the threat of putting a hold on military aid to Ukraine in exchange for “do me a (personal) favor.” That favor being having the recently inaugurated president of Ukraine announce publicly that an inquiry had been initiated into possible corruption by Joe Biden and/or his son. No need to carry out the inquiry, just announce it so Trump could use in his reelection campaign.
Whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, and whether or not you believe Trump should be impeached, you should be proud of the public servants who testified during this inquiry. All but one were career employees of the government, having served in various positions in both Republican and Democratic administrations. The one who wasn’t a career employee was an ambassador appointed by Trump.
Each person who testified faced severe potential repercussions for telling the truth. By the time of the public testimony, several witnesses had received credible death threats, and for what? Death threats for telling the truth.
To me what was even more impressive than the courage of those testifying, was three who testified – an ambassador, a decorated military officer and a PhD intelligence expert – were immigrants. All were born outside the United States. Two migrated with their family, one alone.
Aside from the jaw-dropping testimony about Trump’s illicit behavior, the most disheartening part of the hearings was how Republican members of the Intelligence Committee disavowed their oath to uphold the Constitution and kowtowed to Trump by making disparaging remarks about these dedicated public servants. The snide remarks often challenged the individual’s loyalty to the US despite many years of service to Republican and Democratic presidents and having been thoroughly vetted by the FBI.
Putting the Republican theatrics aside, all of us should be thankful we have a country that is so appealing to people who live outside the United States. An interesting exercise is to look around your everyday life and count the number of immigrants that you interact with.
For me, a quick count included: the manager of the Starbucks, from Iran; the shoe-repair store owner, from Korea; the tailor, from China; the house- painting crew from Central America; the doctor, from India. And the list goes on and on. Spend five minutes thinking about how many immigrants touch your everyday life. You might be shocked at the number.
While I’m still convinced a 5th US revolution – the Revenge Revolution – will occur sometime in the next few years, I’m hopeful about the future after the revolution. Much of that hope lies with the men and women in our government who are truly dedicated to do the right thing. People in Congress should use these people as a reference points when making decisions. Doing so would help reduce the likelihood of a revolution.
As we look ahead, unless the country really goes off the rails, America will continue to attract people from a host of countries worldwide. We should give thanks to those who have already immigrated and we should encourage others to join them.
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