Ms. Condoleezza Rice, previous Secretary of State, pianist extraordinaire, Russian speaker, and professor: speaking to an audience at Boy Scouts of America.
She is raising her hand in emphasis of explaining why "American" is a word of catholic i.e. universal, application not to be denigrated as her Stanford University IT team had attempted.
In Ms. Rice's words, "there can be Afro-Americans, German-Americans, Native-Americans, Mexican-Americans..." "Americans is an inclusive term." The point is well made. And has been made from from George Washington on down. This Nation of Peoples' from multitudinous ethnic and cultural roots come together under one Constitution are unique upon the face of the earth. As all other countries are built on the native populations of those countries. Possibly excluding Russia which exterminated the native Eskimo population when the Caucasian population occupied the northern steppe.
The fact that America has this identity crisis. And that it persists today 223 years later. Is a major weakness in her being.
When Japan can call it's citizens to rally for their homeland. It's a land they have been on a millennia. When Turkey has a cultural crisis they still harken to the past and the lifeblood that unites them. When Australia is in turmoil they congeal more quickly because they are all rooted in the history of being exiled there by their British Sovereigns. Not so Americans.
And the divisions make us easy targets. For further division. The thin thread we cling to is the Constitution and the Declaration and those few words written in hope and idealism and realized against overwhelming military odds. If the "Age of Reason" is lost to "the Age of Artificial Intelligence" it will be IMHO a repetition of the Biblical story of Eve, the Serpent, and Adam. Eating the forbidden fruit of knowledge of good and evil and the exile from the garden. Only this time the garden will be the whole and entire planet earth. The naked clothed in animal skins will be doomed to wander the cosmos in search of new home.
Tragically, when the new home was already on it's way here. As promised by the Messiah, Jesus son of Joseph and Mary of Nazareth. Come soon Jesus.
Comments