This year, America turns 245-years old. Despite recent proclamations made to MAGA, America was never that great in the first place.

Growing up in Smalltown, USA in the 1960s can leave an indelible mark on a life. One of my earliest memory of my Mother was in 1960 as I accompanied her to the town’s Fire Department as she cast her vote for John F. Kennedy.

Also at the firehouse were World War 1 veterans, The same whitehaired men who were normally seen at the towns July 4th parade down the village’s main, and only, street.

World War 1 was ancient history to me as Mom pointed out these men had been to Europe and fought for American Democracy — and to deliver Democracy to the rest of the planet. It was either the tone of her voice, or the distant stares of the old men, as they rode in the back seat of open convertibles provided by Criser’s Chevrolet dealership, which told me this was a solemn occasion.

Everyone has their priorities, and mine centered more around getting home to feed my dog and restoring the Alamo. It was an imagined fort I had built among the apple trees, but anything was more important than hanging out at the fire house watching old people do their part to protect democracy at the ballot box.

What is the Limit to My Freedom? — Your Nose

Every person has the right and freedom of thought, belief, possessing a political opinion, the choice to fulfill or not to fulfill the demands of his chosen religion, political party or social group.

However, idiosyncratic freedom cannot be taken to be absolute in a democratic and civilized country. People have forgotten that my freedoms stop where your nose starts.

The Jokes Were Funny, Until the Humor Stopped

What if journalists wrote about American politics the same way they write about other nations? Twitter users laughed about the embattled president of a onetime British colony, huddling in his castle as he refused to concede the election. All of that laughter ended January 6th when a mob encroached upon Congress and caused the lawmakers to flee to safety.

The images coming out of D.C. that cold January day reminded many of Boris Yeltsin on top of a tank, the Arab Spring and even the turmoil in Venezuela.

For those around the world watching us, America had become the very thing American leaders decried: a weak democracy unable to prevent a criminal rabble from staining what has always – until this last President – a peaceful transition of power.

Viewing a literal coup attempt aimed squarely at stopping the certification of a democratic election rational people began to wonder, for the very first time, if America could still champion democracy abroad and engage in power competition with other nations.

America Wobbles

The violence of January 6th has affected both the nation’s image and standing. The events of the November’s election and its aftermath raised concerns abroad that U.S. elections may not even be free and fair.

Other countries have been sensitized. Other countries are seeing America as a risk factor in the international system of diplomacy. Other governments are wary of binding commitments or cooperation with America and countries; Europe and Asia are convinced that U.S. promises and commitments are not worth the paper they are written on.

Doubt this? Think of the Iran nuclear deal. The Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Paris climate accord. These all fell victims of a shift to our seesaw foreign policy.

There is something to this fear. America’s actions in the Middle East have helped to destabilize that territory and contributed to Europe’s refugee crisis. U.S. sanctions have been costly and unpopular abroad and the former administration’s brinkmanship — with Iran, North Korea and China — have hardly been” stabilizing.”

 A country which retains a massively powerful military and whose domestic politics have become suspect is something other nations cannot take lightly.

The Takeaway

From 2006-2010 as I walked across America one and twice rode a bicycle coast-to-coast, it is safe to say that I saw America up close and personal. 

Passing through Gainesville GA one Veteran’s Day, the local chapter of Veterans for Peace honored me (I am a U.S. Navy vet) by asking me to serve as the parade’s grand Marshal. 

Suddenly, I found myself to be one of the old, white-haired men waving from the back seat of a Chevrolet as we rode down Main Street. I waved at all the little kids lining the route, as they watched and returned my wave.

They stood in awe of ‘real’ Vietnam Veterans who had fought in a war which was as ancient to them as WW1 had been to me. 

If we don’t rethink – and renew – America’s democracy, will people even want to show up at future parades? We have a democracy to fight for right here at home. If we win it I will be happy to march in it.