What will our country look like in 2025?

It seems the US is facing an identity crisis.?From the days just before President Kennedy came into office, we were divided along mostly racial lines but with forward thinkers like Dr. Martin Luther King a few unnamed politicians, and individuals willing to make tremendous sacrifices along the way, by all accounts, we were making significant progress.?Obviously, there will be some disagreement with that assessment depending on individual experiences but looking at a cross-section of our society then versus now we are significantly more integrated than at any point in our past.?There have always been, and there will always be people who believe because they have one superficial attribute or another they are better than those who do not have that attribute.?Moving those people from a majority to a minority is a sign of a growing and improving society.?Anytime you can inspire or motivate people to discuss the pros and cons of ideas you have the making of great solutions, not just adequate but great solutions.?Up until the last decade, it seemed we were on a clear pathway to continue this societal philosophy.?Now it seems we are questioning what justice looks like, do we want to enforce our laws or are our criminals getting the short end of the stick over the victims.?Scenes like "Beer Summit"?where Obama insisted the police officer who arrested the professor for disorderly conduct was "acting stupidly" and carried racial overtones and implied racial profiling was in play.?A local issue that could be cleared up on its own was magnified into a racial issue, as you can see in the photo, the white police officer was assisting the black professor. President Obama chose to create the appearance of racial profiling as a distraction from his "Affordable Care Act" ?which was polling poorly.?Unlike most political offices the President has the ability to shape the national discussion for the next 4 – 8 years and many times well beyond that.

As we begin the early stages of the next presidential campaign and the potential candidates begin hinting at a run ask yourself a very basic question, "What does it mean to be an American"??This is a highly personal question, one that has a thousand answers and none of them are wrong.?In contemplating this question consider who built this country, and how and why did it get the start it did??The original explorers that first settled in the "new world" were leaving behind a two-class system.?The "ruling elites" had the classical education in the arts, philosophy, and some science and then you had the peasants with no classical education but Masters and PhDs in how the world really works not just the way the "educated" ruling elites believed it should work.?Living in the practical real world is where the entrepreneurs are created because if they don't solve problems and make things work they don't eat.?Being an entrepreneur also develops an individual's independence from "authority".?When the "New World" was discovered these independent-minded entrepreneurs jumped at the chance to get away from the "all-knowing" ruling elites.?And when the ruling elites realized they were losing their labor force, the ones who made everything work, they attempted to reassert their authority, unfortunately for them, it was too late, and the US was born.?A society willing to help anyone in need, a society that didn't understand the phrase "that can't be done", a society that didn't care what color of skin you had or what religion you believed in only if your ideas made something work then you did it.?They realized if they didn't take the best of everything they might not make it to the next year.?Also, they built a society that would never be subservient to anyone.?What does it mean to be an American??For me it is an independent attitude, someone for whom problems are merely opportunities to improve, a willingness to reach out and help the next guy pick themselves up, and an innate understanding there is no single "smartest guy in the room" but rather a collaboration of ideas from all walks of life. The amount of melanin in your skin does not limit or enhance your skills and wherever you were born is not the determining factor in your success or failure.?Merit is the factor in success and merit comes from hard work and sacrifice.?This country could not have been created and survived without God, hard work, and sacrifice.

What is the relevance of a Presidential campaign and what it means to be an American??Do any of the 8 or 9 early candidates define what you believe it means to be an American??A look at their qualities suggests they fall into a couple of familiar categories.?In one case they'll first define your problem for you and then promise to fix it.?Obama's "Hope & Change" is a great example, but hope for what exactly and change how, I never understood??Or Biden's 2020 slogan of "Make America Moral again", personally I didn't know I wasn't moral.?Given the information that came out just before the election Biden doesn't represent a moral guide either.?The other candidates in this group will campaign on fixing what they define as the mistakes of the last administration.?As we've learned words are cheap, and actions require work and sacrifice.?The other category for a candidate is a leader.?We've had very few of them in the last half century because it takes commitment, conviction, and integrity.?You can tell when there is a leader in the house. They'll define a real problem, one that you can actually identify yourself, next they'll tell you how it has impacted you and finally they'll provide a measurable solution.?Leaders don't have the patience to pander to unserious people.?They'll tell you like it is and then take action to remedy any problems.?The most important aspect of a leader, as opposed to a politician, (fake leader), is when an action doesn't work as planned they don't hesitate to change it.?Leaders also aren't intimidated by other ideas, they have a goal and if that idea gets to the end goal better, then they do it.?This is all very intimidating for those who are more concerned about their popularity and trying to please everyone to get their vote.?

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As we enter this upcoming campaign season listen carefully to each candidate for real commitment language.?Language that is tough to carry a double meaning.?Remember these people are good at what they do and they design their speeches in such a way that as you are listening to them you believe they are speaking what is on your mind.?Look for new ideas and explanations for how these will make a problem better.?Gavin Newsome might tell you he's concerned about the environmental collapse so he'll propose a plan to recover taxes from a specific group or a specific activity because it’s the right thing to do.?The environment is something we can always work to lessen negative impacts but if we don't have an economy or even a country for that matter, the environment won't get better.?We've done the tax thing from Bush to Obama & then Biden and all we've accomplished is a redistribution of wealth to the few families in the elite ruling class.

Nikki Haley wants to impose mental capacity testing on anyone over 70, what problem is she trying to solve, Senator Fetterman would still be the senator as would Senator Hirono.?Nikki will impose term limits to stop career politicians but isn't that what voting is for, term limit bad politicians??What if the voters really want that person in there because they've done well for them??If bad politicians keep getting elected maybe we need to investigate how the voting is handled??Term limits should be placed on the staffers instead.?Nikki is defining a problem that sounds important but how does that improve the market??Stop the migrants from illegally crossing our border or keep us from being caught up in endless wars??Sounds a little “hopey changey” to me.?She has defined the categories for the candidates chronologically into old school and fresh new blood.?However, some of the "new blood" want to follow the same path laid down by George Bush Sr, Jr, Clinton, Obama, and Biden, (along with any number of congressional people).?I'm not sure Trump can be put into that category.?He didn't do things like all the others and that frustrated more than a few reporters, staffers, and members of Congress.?Like DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy he did propose real, measurable solutions to actual problems and like DeSantis, followed through with them.?Remember these people at this level are good at what they do and make everything sound great.?Look at who you are and what you want for this country then filter out all the meaningless statements and statements with double meanings.

Thanks for taking the time to read this article.?We have some very serious times ahead of us and some very unserious people who want your attention and support.??