Key Takeaways
- The United States is no longer the beacon of hope and democracy it once was, and nostalgia for its past greatness is not a viable strategy for moving forward.
- The country’s identity is entangled in nostalgia, but this nostalgia is exclusionary and ignores the harsh realities of its history and present.
- The rule of law is not applied fairly or equally to all, and the most powerful people in society are not held to the same standards as others.
- The election process is already endangered, and democracy is on life support due to the actions of Trump and his supporters.
- The old norms and institutions that once protected democracy are no longer effective, and it’s time to build something new and better.
The Warning Signs
Only a day before Donald Trump stood on a global stage and declared that he was prosecuting political enemies, Prime Minister Mark Carney issued an important warning: “We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn’t mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy.” This warning touched on America’s Achilles’ heel and the challenge for the pro-democracy movement. The United States is a young country, but it celebrates itself as the world’s oldest democracy. However, this celebration is often rooted in nostalgia, which ignores the harsh realities of its history and present.
The Nostalgia Trap
The United States’ identity is entangled in nostalgia. We tell ourselves that the Statue of Liberty’s torch guided immigrants towards a beacon of hope, and that our presidents paved the path to peace in two world wars. We are not only a world power, but the global light of justice and liberty. This nostalgia is powerful, and it’s one of the reasons why Donald Trump’s slogan to Make America Great Again resonated with the masses, even though it excluded so many. Many families, like the author’s, came to America to flee persecution, and the country was a safe haven for them. However, this America doesn’t exist anymore, and we cannot afford to be nostalgic for it.
The Reality of the Situation
The reality is that the United States is no longer the country it once was. The rule of law is not applied fairly or equally to all, and the most powerful people in society are not held to the same standards as others. The election process is already endangered, and democracy is on life support due to the actions of Trump and his supporters. Former Special Counsel Jack Smith warned that if we do not hold the most powerful people in our society to the same standards, the rule of law, it can be catastrophic. However, the author argues that we are already past that point, and the rule of law is not being applied fairly or equally to all.
The Need for a New Approach
The paradox of the current moment is that while none of this is normal, it is also not extraordinary. It is the country in which we live, and we are not going back to a previous era. Those who sit around and insist things will revert after Trump is gone have learned nothing from the history of why many of our families once fled to this country. It’s heartbreaking that this is what the United States has come to, but we are doing ourselves a disservice by thinking otherwise. We need to recognize the reality of our current situation and build something new and better, rather than relying on nostalgia for a past that no longer exists.
The Global Implications
From what the author witnessed at Davos, our NATO allies have come to terms with the new world order. The United States is no longer a steady ally and a trusted global power — but an unstable volcano ready to erupt. We cannot be looked to for democracy, nor can we be the torchbearers for peace. They should be wary of us, and they should be prepared for uncertainty. Just as nostalgia is not a strategy for them, it cannot be one for those of us who care about democracy and free and fair elections.
A New Path Forward
There are no longer huddled masses at the Statue of Liberty. Instead, we see ICE agents terrorizing our cities. Our government no longer believes that its power comes from the consent of the governed. Instead, Trump believes power comes from threats and force. Most importantly, we no longer have a country in which we have one system of justice for all, and no one is above the law. However, if we allow ourselves to let go of nostalgia and recognize our current reality, we can, as Carney said, “build something better, stronger, more just.” We need to move forward, not backward, and create a new path that is rooted in the principles of democracy, equality, and justice for all.
