Dear Reader,
Happy 4th! And happy 249th birthday to America.
I can’t believe it – almost 250 years. Our nation is growing up. We are now “middle aged” for a republic.
The Roman republic lasted 500 years.
The longevity of a nation depends on a lot of things…
Political stability, including peaceful transition of power, is crucial.
You need engaged citizens – citizens who vote, and participate in public discourse.
A healthy economy.
Threats to republics include wars, internal conflict, and most of all, as I’ve said before, when people stop believing.
Many believe the Roman Empire collapsed because Rome was confronted by two powerful enemies at the same time: Germany and Persia.
But Rome didn’t collapse because they had two new powerful enemies.
The Roman Empire collapsed because Romans stopped believing in it.
They stopped believing it was a force for good in the world.
When that happened, they didn’t want to fight to defend it.
It’s up to us, mature adults who love America to help the younger generation appreciate how good we have it.
So I’ll leave you with this sentiment, this mission, as we celebrate our great nation’s 249th anniversary.
Join me in the good fight to keep America great.
And have a wonderful 4th.
“The Buck Stops Here,”
