In a recent essay for Quillette, Mark Goldblatt Scratched the ways in which “scientists, theorists, technicians, entrepreneurs, and even a few madmen are working independently to radically extend life, with the ultimate prize in mind: the eradication of death.”
In his opinion, uprooting is not as absurd as it seems. One day, in the near future, immortality may be achieved. However, one thing is certain, even if death is eradicated, one thing simply cannot be removed from the human equation – tribalism.
Mortality, Goldblatt argues, “is there the characteristic of human existence.” While this is largely true, today division is a defining feature of American existence.
The country is more divided than ever before. Suspicion reigns. Tribalism is a natural part of human existence. In fact, both in the past and in the present, this is the reason for so much hostility. As I write, Protestants and Catholics are engaged in violent clashes in Northern Ireland. In Eastern Europe, the Croatian War of Independence, which lasted from 1991 to 1995, was really a story of two tribes, the Serbs and the Croats. The Rwandan genocide, which killed over 800,000 people in 100 days, was the most brutal example
Yes, these are extreme examples of tribalism, but deep-seated hatred of the enemy can drive people to do terrible things.
Which brings us back to America; more specifically, American politics.
Can I trust you? Can we be friends? Would I want you as a neighbor? These questions seem to be shaped by the most critical question in the United States today – red or blue?
Apparently, Americans speak the same language. However, when it comes to politics, this is not the case. Like the left more left and right see the other side as unreasonable – and, more importantly, unattainable. It’s protected to assume the feeling is mutual: The left sees many Republicans as unreasonable and unattainable.
Excellent as always John McWhorter Lately As he noted, Americans have been struggling with basic definitions for years, and the situation seems to be getting worse. Words like “diversity,” “equality,” and “inclusion” have lost their meaning. As McWhorther writes: “many singers on the left now use it social justice as deputy justice” as if they were interchangeable (they weren’t). Words became weapons, and people used them to throw rhetorical hand grenades at each other.
Who suffers when words are overused, intentionally or not? Dear Americans. And when Americans suffer, America suffers.
What can be done?
Joe Biden, as you know, is the current president. I’m not here to discuss his leadership skills. No, I’m here to discuss the fact that Joe Biden will never be able to unite America. Why? One word: Luggage. More precisely, too much luggage.
This is why Hillary Clinton failed in her efforts in 2016. It had much less to do with being a woman than with her history. Too many Americans simply didn’t trust her. The luggage was gigantic.
Tucker Carlson, Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump Jr. – all of these names are mentioned as potential presidential candidates. While someone like Carlson would be extremely popular on the right, he would provoke an extreme reaction on the left. As Fox’s leading man, Carlson has too extensive a partisan history to be a unifying leader.
Meanwhile, Democrats, as mentioned earlier, are moving further to the left. The future of the party seems to be more “progressive” with a capital T. I imagine that Biden, for all his faults, will seem remarkably soft compared to his successors.
Too extreme, whether left or right, is not good news for America. The next president must be more balanced both tonally and ideologically.
Who is the right person for this position? What about JD Vance?
After all, America needs it Goldilocks candidate. Why not the one from Cincinnati?
It’s still very early, but it appears the “Hillbilly Elegy” author is eyeing a possible Senate campaign in Ohio. More than $10 million was raised for a super PAC supporting the venture capitalist.
Although he has not officially announced his intention to run for the U.S. Senate, the PAC is doing so All in their power to recruit him.
Americans love a good rags to riches story, and Vance’s background ticks all the boxes. A millionaire with genuine working class roots is indeed a rarity. Most importantly, Vance is very much a man of the people. At just 36 years elderly, Vance, a husband and father, has already achieved so much at such a adolescent age. Moreover, unlike all the characters mentioned above, he has no baggage. Of course, things can change, but Vance seems to have what many politicians lack – common sense.
It may seem premature to talk about a future president, and perhaps it is. Nevertheless, he is a family man, articulate, clever and caring. What he lacks in political experience, he makes up for in common sense and quick wit. This is an era of endless war and… debasement US dollar. Common sense is sorely lacking. Backed by erudite Peter Thiel, Vance may well become one of the most critical figures in American politics.
In the aforementioned Quillette article, Goldblatt writes that the pursuit of immortality “is an extremely long-term project with an uncertain probability of success. It will take a social consensus to fund it. You will need public support and a logically coherent policy that values, defends, and encourages the pursuit.”
Replace the words “tasty presidential candidate” with “immortality” and the sentence will still ring true. Could JD Vance be the man to create a more united America in the future?
This isn’t some utopian dream. After all, according to the Greek definition, utopia simply means “nowhere.” In the future, President Vance may be able to take America somewhere, a place more united, a place more open to commonsense policy ideas.
