My Teenage Brain on History When I was a teenager in the late 1970s, my grandfather told me that during the darkest days of World War Two, he purchased property in Hawaii as an insurance policy in case the war went the Nazis’ way. He figured that a Jewish family had a better shot at life in Hawaii given its diverse mix of races and its distance from Germany.
Do you agree with my premise that the last 80 years has been a time of progress for most Americans? But that we’re due for some serious bumps in the road.
Lest his readers get confused, I would like to clarify that the January 6th David mentions is 1/6/21. NOT 1/6/88...the day his daughter (aka me) was born!
There can be no doubt that we have made progress in our lifetimes in many ways. That said, it is still a journey in the making. We have not arrived at some final destination in which all is well, all problems solved, so we must keep working to improve conditions -- our own, in our neighborhood and in the world writ large. It is also worth remembering that progress is never written in a straight line. An upward trend has dips in it and there will be dips to come, some harder to overcome than others. Using the Jewish people as an example much older than the US, I think antisemitism is not as bad as it was in times past, but it still exists and we will (this is not a maybe) see times when it flairs up here or there but we will continue to find ways to flourish. We learn to adapt as Jews and we will learn to adapt as a larger society.
An interesting Jewish history lesson was taught to me in my late teens, around 1967 I believe. Why are so many Jews brokers or engaged in practices of law or medicine or small one-man businesses (like tailors)? Because we could pick up our business and leave town on a moment's notice and you can't do that with a farm, store or factory and, as Jews, we knew we might have to flee once more. We knew that the cycle of oppression would likely return and we needed to be ready. It was not until finding a more secure home in the US that we began investing in more physical structures that we cannot pick up and carry away overnight.
David, I loved this post - I read it a couple of yesterday morning while I was waiting outside my kids' Arabic school, then my time ran out so I couldn't comment just then. Thoughts - and know that I am coming at this from a Canadian perspective rather than an American one:
I 100% agree with you that the last few decades were a time of overall progress for America (Canada) with the caveat that of course, there were haves and have-nots and we're speaking from the position of the haves within the country. Also, the country's position on the world stage was one of being a a) Completely unopposed super-powere (America), or b) Completely unopposed superpower's little brother (Canada) so we could basically do whatever we wanted.
Now that geopolitical circumstances are changing and other powers are rising up, I think America and Canada will see some bumps in the road, and that we may come to experience or feel some of what other countries have experienced.
I had this conversation with a friend during Covid (I posted about it a few weeks back - will link the article) that we who grew up during this time and place of unprecedented peace and plenty really don't know how to cope with tumult and uncertaintly. We've never had to work that muscle so we that muscle never grew and now we're gonna be facing a world of hurt...
It is lacking of any rigor. What exactly do you mean that “history is coming for us”? Your comparison is to the last 80 years as being the golden age of America is interesting but poorly defined; what about it was a golden age?
Pick a decade in the last 80 years and it’s filled with pretty wild stuff; the Korean wars in the 50s, the Kennedy assassination, civil rights movement, the Cuban mistake crisis of the 60s, Vietnam, the oil shock, high inflation and the constitutional crisis caused by watergate in the 70s, Iran contra and the aids epidemic of the 80s, the gulf war, bill Clinton and the Eastern European mess of the 90s, 9/11, 2 wars and the Great Recession of the 00s
And this a short synopsis; never mind all of the cultural and political changes that took place or the international shenanigans. I listed some of the events in America to point out we sometimes look back on the past with rose color glasses but America has always been wacky and wild. I do think some of the problems it’s facing today is unique, but that’s true of almost every big problem that happens.
Never mind that America has some real strengths. From AI to space ships, the US is still dominating in innovation, is blessed with natural resources and talent. And millions still seem to want to live here
Yes America will no longer be the only global power. But it will still be a great one. And yes wacky shut happen in America. But it always does. History isn’t coming from us. It never left.
Do you agree with my premise that the last 80 years has been a time of progress for most Americans? But that we’re due for some serious bumps in the road.
The great melting pot isn’t dead yet. Hopefully the majority will keep working together. Love “trumps “ hate.
I remember learning about the Hegelian Dialectic in school. Maybe we are in the thesis/antithesis period.
Lest his readers get confused, I would like to clarify that the January 6th David mentions is 1/6/21. NOT 1/6/88...the day his daughter (aka me) was born!
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Mark Twain
There can be no doubt that we have made progress in our lifetimes in many ways. That said, it is still a journey in the making. We have not arrived at some final destination in which all is well, all problems solved, so we must keep working to improve conditions -- our own, in our neighborhood and in the world writ large. It is also worth remembering that progress is never written in a straight line. An upward trend has dips in it and there will be dips to come, some harder to overcome than others. Using the Jewish people as an example much older than the US, I think antisemitism is not as bad as it was in times past, but it still exists and we will (this is not a maybe) see times when it flairs up here or there but we will continue to find ways to flourish. We learn to adapt as Jews and we will learn to adapt as a larger society.
An interesting Jewish history lesson was taught to me in my late teens, around 1967 I believe. Why are so many Jews brokers or engaged in practices of law or medicine or small one-man businesses (like tailors)? Because we could pick up our business and leave town on a moment's notice and you can't do that with a farm, store or factory and, as Jews, we knew we might have to flee once more. We knew that the cycle of oppression would likely return and we needed to be ready. It was not until finding a more secure home in the US that we began investing in more physical structures that we cannot pick up and carry away overnight.
David, I loved this post - I read it a couple of yesterday morning while I was waiting outside my kids' Arabic school, then my time ran out so I couldn't comment just then. Thoughts - and know that I am coming at this from a Canadian perspective rather than an American one:
I 100% agree with you that the last few decades were a time of overall progress for America (Canada) with the caveat that of course, there were haves and have-nots and we're speaking from the position of the haves within the country. Also, the country's position on the world stage was one of being a a) Completely unopposed super-powere (America), or b) Completely unopposed superpower's little brother (Canada) so we could basically do whatever we wanted.
Now that geopolitical circumstances are changing and other powers are rising up, I think America and Canada will see some bumps in the road, and that we may come to experience or feel some of what other countries have experienced.
I had this conversation with a friend during Covid (I posted about it a few weeks back - will link the article) that we who grew up during this time and place of unprecedented peace and plenty really don't know how to cope with tumult and uncertaintly. We've never had to work that muscle so we that muscle never grew and now we're gonna be facing a world of hurt...
(here's the link: https://pronetohyperbole.substack.com/p/the-opposite-of-calm)
While at a high level I enjoyed your post to be,
It is lacking of any rigor. What exactly do you mean that “history is coming for us”? Your comparison is to the last 80 years as being the golden age of America is interesting but poorly defined; what about it was a golden age?
Pick a decade in the last 80 years and it’s filled with pretty wild stuff; the Korean wars in the 50s, the Kennedy assassination, civil rights movement, the Cuban mistake crisis of the 60s, Vietnam, the oil shock, high inflation and the constitutional crisis caused by watergate in the 70s, Iran contra and the aids epidemic of the 80s, the gulf war, bill Clinton and the Eastern European mess of the 90s, 9/11, 2 wars and the Great Recession of the 00s
And this a short synopsis; never mind all of the cultural and political changes that took place or the international shenanigans. I listed some of the events in America to point out we sometimes look back on the past with rose color glasses but America has always been wacky and wild. I do think some of the problems it’s facing today is unique, but that’s true of almost every big problem that happens.
Never mind that America has some real strengths. From AI to space ships, the US is still dominating in innovation, is blessed with natural resources and talent. And millions still seem to want to live here
Yes America will no longer be the only global power. But it will still be a great one. And yes wacky shut happen in America. But it always does. History isn’t coming from us. It never left.