A false dichotomy illustrates a true problem

In the heart of Philadelphia’s Old City, blocks from where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated and adopted, I saw these signs in a building’s 2nd story windows.

Obviously one can love both America and Americans. Forcing a choice is deceptive and manipulative.

‘We condition the masses to hate the country,’ concluded the Director.

—Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

The false dichotomy presented in this display does, however, illustrate a true problem: apparently some folks don’t see how loving America actually helps Americans.

Since the beginning of this whole thing the idea of America has represented an aspirational goal for what human civilization can be. The aspirational part is key.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

—United States Declaration of Independence

We, as humans, need something to work for. It’s hardwired into us to identify some future state that appears preferable to our current state and bust our butts to get there.

We put up with all kinds of challenges in the short term when we have a long term goal in mind.

He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.

—Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

If a man loses that focus on a long term goal—on his purpose—he can easily become rudderless and unmoored.

When a whole society loses what used to be a shared long term goal and purpose, and instead devolves into indulgent pursuit of 300+ million individual goals… well, we get where we are at.

America is at its best when Americans are pulling together. Not on everything, but on the big stuff.

Instead, we’re living in a time when many Americans think many other Americans are evil or even subhuman. We’re mired in division and hatred without any guiding principle to grasp for.

We need a north star. More ‘and’, less ‘or’.