Our battered flag

It seems that Americans have lost much in the decades since my youth. Our nation has never been perfect, but there have been times throughout U.S. history when our government cared for and worked to better the conditions for “We the People.” Of course, there are other times, such as in recent years, when the government seems to care only about the wealthy, and works to suppress and intimidate the people.

I feel sad today as I survey the “new” America—which appears to have backslid into another Gilded Age. In the decades following the Civil War, American industrialists and financiers usurped power and concentrated great wealth into the hands of the few, at the expense of the many.

Greed propelled these “Robber Barons” to exploit workers and use unscrupulous practices to create monopolies which drove smaller companies out of business. Prices increased as competition disappeared. Although wages increased marginally during this time, pay remained low, particularly for factory laborers, who faced hazardous conditions and long hours. A widening gap between the working class and the wealthy exacerbated the inability of average citizens to get ahead in life.

Beyond the economic conditions, the Gilded Age was characterized by massive political corruption resulting in a federal government unresponsive to the very real needs of the population. Sound familiar?

A financial panic in 1893 triggered a depression. Widespread poverty and unemployment fueled social unrest. Increasing immigration led to societal tension and “otherism.” As Gideon Rose noted in a 2023 article, “Technological change, economic concentration, and rising inequality; political partisanship, financial corruption, and social turmoil; populism, racism, and xenophobia—the similarities [to today] are striking.” I recommend reading the entire article . . . it also addresses the differences between these two eras, and offers some useful “lessons learned” that we would do well to heed.

Surely, I feel helpless to change what is happening across my homeland right now. I watch in horror as Americans turn on one another, play the blame game, and magnify hate. I know we can be better than that. It's tempting to throw my hands into the air and bemoan the death of democracy and empathy.

But the cyclical nature of U.S. history gives me hope. If nothing else, Americans are resilient. We have emerged from similar episodes in the past, not unscathed, but each time building back a little stronger, and addressing some of the inequities that dragged us down. Our country is a work in progress.

If history indeed rhymes, I expect things will get much worse before they get better. But we will eventually remember that kindness and compassion, hard work and diligence, and seeking common ground can tear down walls and rebuild societies. And rebuild we must.

Image Designed by Freepik

#july4th #reflection #WeThePeople