Countrywide Resolutions

I wont say that 2017 was the worse year on record. There was no bubonic plague, no World War III, and no Holocaust, so that should stand for something. This in spite of threats of isolationism, Twitter battles that could launch nuclear weapons, and petty fights over non-issues that have shaken the global order and alienated our closest friends. I will say then that 2017 was not a good year for much more than the stock market, corporations and Bitcoin. So what will the country face in 2018? What will we take on full charge, and try our hardest to overcome? My wish list of countrywide resolutions is as follows:

American Leadership: In 2017 we gave up international partnerships, attacked NAFTA and ended TTP leaving a gaping hole for China to fill, we declared Jerusalem the Capital of Israel earning us a direct rebuke from the UN General Assembly, and we ignored almost every humanitarian crises that could occur (we did that here in the U.S. as well though, but I digress). In 2018 I hope we revitalize American leadership at least of the Western Nations, and regain the mantle that was not only prosperous to America, but also benefited the security and stability of a large chunk of the world.

Political discourse: So once upon a time Republicans railed against the use of power to unilaterally pass massive legislation called the Affordable Care Act. Then in 2017, Republicans tried over and over again to do the same thing in an effort to destroy said legislation. This time instead of a super majority they tried to weasel their way through the process by using budget rules and reconciliation. It appeared as though this would fail thanks to some diligent moderate Republicans like John McCain, Susan Collins and a few others, but eventually that too failed. In essence, this move made it even worse for future legislative battles, and set a ridiculous precedent that will likely keep getting worse, not better, with time. My hope for the coming year is that someone takes on the task of bipartisanship and tries to serve the country as a whole, and not just a political base on the extreme left or extreme right, but the average everyday citizen who just wants government to accomplish its basic tasks (like infrastructure spending we likely will never afford tanks to some very powerful trust fund heirs; anyway I digress again).

Common values: There was once a time, albeit only in the recent past, when we shared values. We could all say that racism was bad, that sexual harassment was egregious, and that being a child molester was indefensible, but that too, in 2017, changed. I mean seriously we had to have a conversation about “fine people on both sides” or “we don’t need a Schumer puppet in Alabama” and so on and so forth. Why do I have to say this? Seriously? We can all support the rejection of white supremacists, or stand up for women and against sexual harassment, and we can certainly not support a credibly accused sexual predator taking a federal office. So, in 2018 we should take on the challenge of again defining common values in which we support the dignity and humanity of all people, if not than at least of all our own citizens.

That should sum it up nicely. I personally think we could change the course of human history if we resolve to change just one thing on this list in 2018, but what do I know? The year wasn’t all bad. Alabama made a fine decision in rejecting Roy Moore, sexual harassment is being talked about openly, and if all else fails we can buy bitcoin in case everything falls through the floor, and the dollar doesn’t survive the catastrophe that may follow. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.