America was once a beacon of hope. Other countries were under the rule of a monarch in good cases, and tyrants in worse ones. Yet, America after the revolution was controlled by it’s people. Making their own decisions about laws, taxes, and how society should function.
I’m not saying America is somehow fundamentally different, instead many countries in the 200 years since then have gone through their own revolutions giving more power to the people than previously bestowed upon them. As the result, those people no longer need to look to America for that strength.
The demand for the hope America provided is at its lowest point in history. Along with that means that people aren’t rooting for us as much. It feels like a shift, but in reality it is what success feels like. America as “An experiment in self-governance” was radically successful in that it created many other copycats to follow suit and modified their constitutions. Of course, once success happens, it seems like there should be more magic. Unfortunately, there isn’t. Look to people who became millionaires and how they commonly mention “I thought there would be more to it.” Same with people who reach their dream jobs, only to find out that it’s not as dreamy as they imagined.
America fulfilling the role as a beacon of hope for the world is great, but now it’s time for us as a country to find our next purpose. For me, that seems like what America is missing at the moment. A common, unifying theme that unites the people, reignites the passion and resourcefulness of the country, and gives the world someone else to root for again. I don’t know what that is, but I’m going to be thinking about it, and if you live in America, you should too.
P.S. This doesn’t have to apply to just nations. It could apply to organizations, companies, forums, etc. Sometimes the original purpose is complete and the old loses the luster. A new idea is often needed to bring the shine back.
None of this is Right 