Moving piece. My wife who was born in Belarus, became a US citizen, now stands in Ukraine (where she also has roots) still holds her American citizenship with pride. It's an inspiration to me as a natural born US citizen with family going back to the late 1600's first setting foot on what was then, an English colony. No one should take anything for granted.
Great writing! I am sure Lenin never contemplated that the richest capitalist nation in the world would throw it all away for a narcissistic sociopathic thieving pedophile.
Suggest all reread the Preamble to Our Declaration of Independence.
250 years ago, mostly written by Thomas Jefferson, passed by our Continental Congress in 1776, in the Preamble of our Founders’ Declaration of Independence our Founders railed against King George III. As you will sadly conclude, a great many of the Founders’ accusations to the English King are equally applicable to our present King. (The excerpts below begin with the last sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration’s Preamble; the original accusations list was arger.)
“The history of the present King…is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice…
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices…
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them…from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
He is at this time transporting large Armies…to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us…
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
Thank you for articulating this admiration for your (and my) adopted country. It is rare/exceptional that striving towards abstract ideals as a creedal raison d'etre can be sustained for 250 years. Not so exceptional is the exploitation of the baser instincts of human nature as a means of mobilizing political movements. I find that RDI / The Next Move is one of those important places where galvanizing hard-won skills in supporting the former are essential in the struggle against the harsh realities that usually result from the latter.
I identify as "far left" and I, for one, admire the founders. They were the first to articulate the idea that this was a nation founded on its people's life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Not similarity of ancestry. Not the conquests of some ruler claiming God-given power. Not some government separate from and superior to its people.
They weren't perfect; the concept of "created equal" was pretty primitive at the time and has grown somewhat more inclusive since. But the rights come from the people, not the government or some invisible being no one has ever spoken with (legends notwithstanding). Now on to keep forming that more perfect union.
Thankyou for your insite.This is a difficult time for some of us who want better things from government,but we were founded on God who is not only christian,but everything good.
Thank You Mr. Kasparov for your keen insights and reminder that, WE THE PEOPLE have as much to overcome, as we have to celebrate.
Thank you for this heartfelt essay. It is an encouragement during a politically dark and dangerous time in this country.
Moving piece. My wife who was born in Belarus, became a US citizen, now stands in Ukraine (where she also has roots) still holds her American citizenship with pride. It's an inspiration to me as a natural born US citizen with family going back to the late 1600's first setting foot on what was then, an English colony. No one should take anything for granted.
Mazel tov! Great birthday greeting! From a Canadian in Ukraine
This was beautiful, thank you ❤️
This is so incredible. Thank you for it. It does give me more to consider and celebrate!
Did you remember Georgia 😈?
Love your essay! I enjoy reading your perspective. I really value to appreciate more what I have.
Great writing! I am sure Lenin never contemplated that the richest capitalist nation in the world would throw it all away for a narcissistic sociopathic thieving pedophile.
Thank you for your unique perspective.
Thanks for your work Garry, and Happy Independence Day!
Suggest all reread the Preamble to Our Declaration of Independence.
250 years ago, mostly written by Thomas Jefferson, passed by our Continental Congress in 1776, in the Preamble of our Founders’ Declaration of Independence our Founders railed against King George III. As you will sadly conclude, a great many of the Founders’ accusations to the English King are equally applicable to our present King. (The excerpts below begin with the last sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration’s Preamble; the original accusations list was arger.)
“The history of the present King…is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice…
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices…
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them…from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
He is at this time transporting large Armies…to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us…
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
To read the entire Preamble and Declaration go to: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
Bravo Gary. I’m for your optimism 👏👏👏
Thank you for articulating this admiration for your (and my) adopted country. It is rare/exceptional that striving towards abstract ideals as a creedal raison d'etre can be sustained for 250 years. Not so exceptional is the exploitation of the baser instincts of human nature as a means of mobilizing political movements. I find that RDI / The Next Move is one of those important places where galvanizing hard-won skills in supporting the former are essential in the struggle against the harsh realities that usually result from the latter.
I identify as "far left" and I, for one, admire the founders. They were the first to articulate the idea that this was a nation founded on its people's life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Not similarity of ancestry. Not the conquests of some ruler claiming God-given power. Not some government separate from and superior to its people.
They weren't perfect; the concept of "created equal" was pretty primitive at the time and has grown somewhat more inclusive since. But the rights come from the people, not the government or some invisible being no one has ever spoken with (legends notwithstanding). Now on to keep forming that more perfect union.
Thankyou for your insite.This is a difficult time for some of us who want better things from government,but we were founded on God who is not only christian,but everything good.
God is not Christian, nor is the Christ. Only those who embody the teachings of Christ are.
"Christian God" would mean God according to Christians. Im speaking in philosophical terms.