As we embark on the next 250 years of the American Experiment, we must not give in to hate and fright-inducing hyperbole; rather, let’s focus on the potential for increased collaboration and greater things to come.
Now that America’s milestone is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look to the future and consider what we hope the next 250 years will hold.
Unfortunately, many on both sides of the political aisle are pessimistic about America’s future.
Trump and his followers see communism as an existential threat reminiscent of the 1950s Red Scare, though there is little evidence to support their hysteria.
Sure, Democratic Socialist candidates recently won races in New York and Colorado, and more Americans are warming to the idea of a more robust social safety net.
But those elected under the Democratic Socialist banner are a far cry from communists, a moniker too-often used by the president and his supporters without adequate comprehension of its meaning.
On the other side of America’s increasingly polarized politics, many are raising the alarm about the rise of hateful rhetoric and deeds, rapidly encroaching fascism, unchecked political corruption, and society-destroying techno-oligarchy.
These are concerns worth raising, but so far, the Constitution, albeit strained and at times misinterpreted, has largely held.
Both perspectives induce fear and division in ways that best serve those who profit from both: politicians, tech giants, political influencers, and anyone monetizing discontent.
Meanwhile, the majority of Americans are caught in the middle, just trying to afford their day-to-day expenses and fretting over the uncertainty of tomorrow.
I certainly get that – count me among the fretful for my family and me.
However, instead of giving in to our fears by aligning ourselves with the respective us-vs.-them camps dividing us for clicks and profit, let’s take a breath and resolve ourselves to not succumb to manipulation and schemes.
I know it’s hard since every corner of the internet is designed to silo us from the “other” deemed enemy.
But when you do, you’ll see that all is not as grim as many lead us to believe.
Yes, times are tough for many of us. But tough times foster innovative solutions and can promote a greater sense of community.
My late grandmother endured the Great Depression like few others, having lived part of her childhood in a Pittsburgh-area orphanage because her parents could not support her.
Yet she would tell me stories about how neighbors banded together to meet the challenges of that era, with potluck dinners and other acts of kindness that drew communities closer.
And despite the hardships my grandmother and others suffered during those times, she would often look back on them with a reverence for what they wrought: sharing and a sense of community largely missing from our modern experience.
As we embark on the next 250 years at a time when the future seems uncertain, and our fears spawn division, we should all take a lesson from those who overcame the depression and fought global fascism.
They aspired to a better tomorrow when times were tough and clawed their way out together.
I think we can do the same.
As we’ve repeatedly noted at Postindustrial (read more below), our community knows too well this struggle, having already faced economic uncertainties in recent decades. The demise of traditional industries like steel, coal, and manufacturing has forced us to reimagine our futures and reinvent places like Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and others with great success.
Also read: To solve our problems, more of us need to move to the middle… of the country
We are a stellar example of what it takes to overcome tough times through determination and collective effort.
The rest of the country would be wise to follow our example by not dwelling on what divides us.
Instead, we, as a nation, must look to what can be and work together to realize a better tomorrow.
With the advent of new industries, renewable energy sources, and other innovations, we have near-limitless potential to build a brighter, better tomorrow.
It won’t be easy, especially since some political and private-sector leaders prefer we remain at each other’s throats rather than work together.
Yet, I believe the majority of us would rather pull together than tear each other apart.
We’ve done it before, and will do it again.
