Celebrate July 4th Knowing that America is Going Through a Healthy Reinvention
This short documentary-style video makes the compelling case that America is not in crisis but in transformation, heading into its Fourth Great Reinvention, tipping from old systems to better new ones
I have written a dozen long essays here in the last several months, laying the foundation for what will be my next book to be published by HarperCollins, but this post is highly encouraging you to watch the documentary-style video just above.
This brand-new 15-minute video squeezes down many of the key ideas that I have roughed out in 30,000 words of essays, and talked through in a recent 3-hour studio interview with Freethink Media, which has also been syndicating my essays through their online media world. Their editors have taken my ideas and created a powerful video of high-quality production values that could easily be seen on Netflix and the like.
This week heading into the July 4th holiday weekend, or over the weekend itself, take the time to watch this video and ponder whether my relatively positive interpretation about what’s really going on in America today makes more sense than the gloom and doom interpretations seen all over the place.
If you think I might be onto something, or at least should be heard out, then consider sharing this video over the weekend with other Americans who need a positive reframe of what’s happening to their country right now.
If after watching for just 15 minutes, you want more explanations of the key ideas, then I’m linking to several of the essays just below. Reading all four of them would take you about an hour but you would have a much richer understanding of the argument for further debate with your family and friends.
And if you like where I’m going with this framework and worldview, then subscribe to get more essays on a monthly basis going forward. Consider becoming a paid member that allows you to join our virtual conversations in video gatherings each month, or for founding members, VIP invites to our quarterly events in my long-time base in San Francisco.
In the meantime, Happy July Fourth to all of you. We Americans have been in similar situations three times before in our history, and we have resolved all of them, and headed into 25 years of great progress each time. There’s no reason we can’t and won’t do the same thing again.
And if you don’t fully understand what I’m talking about, then watch the video at the top of this post.
Below are the key essays that you might consider reading AFTER watching that video at the start of this piece:
i agree that AI, biotech, and energy will lead to big change in a short period of time (using historical precedence).
with great respect for your overall observations, i must say i cannot imagine any significant form of "global governance" for a long time (decades at least).
i base this opinion on these data points:
1. European nations have much in common in our eyes, yet have different languages, cultures, etc. and have a long history of conflict. without the US intervening, and without globalization, i'm skeptical about even the EU becoming a governance model (expanding beyond commerce)
2. the EU can barely keep the economic union together due to conflicting national interests (and national interests are societal interests based on belief systems and cultural preferences)
3. many cultures have a strong past-orientation and their various histories include deep rifts
4. there are at least 2 major global philosophies that conflict about what is right/wrong, good/bad
5. NATO will likely only last as long as the US is part of it - due to conflicting national interests
6. "wealthy" nations would be economically decimated by global wealth distribution
7. the autocratic and monarchical governed nations have to be democratized first... good luck
8. quality and availability of global infrastructure (roads, power, etc.) varies too much
9. religious conflict prevents cooperation between many large and powerful nations
10. the UN is a feckless, bureaucratic, corrupt entity due to many of the items listed above
11. the whole continent of Africa is a disaster examined from any viewpoint
12. most Asians still live in poverty - and lack the concept of individual rights
13. most South Americans live in poverty - and resist being governed
i can add to this list...
considering the factors above, how will AI, biotech, or new energy sources change the world enough to overcome the many rivalries and hatreds that are almost as old as recorded history? especially in 25 years? i just don't see it...
Very optimistic but I like it