We Americans have a huge problem that we do not want to face directly.
We have lost faith in our united system of governance. Only 64% of eligible adults voted in the 2024 presidential election and far fewer vote in gubernatorial elections. A large group of Americans do not believe it matters who is in office or what happens in government.
Even those who vote often make decisions based upon scant or misleading information. In the modern era, “alternative facts” are a shield against reality. Denial is an enormously powerful tool that allows us to avoid any individual responsibility for our situation. The kernel of truth that we do not want to face is that the failure of our nation is our fault.
The “great American experiment in government” failed long ago, and we have been in denial about that for many years.
Why did we fail? Can it be fixed? Should we just start over? I believe the answers to these questions are simple and everyone knows the truth deep down.
The answer to the “why” question starts with our founding documents. What the Founding Fathers meant by “all men are created equal” and “endowed … with certain unalienable Rights,” is not what it sounds like today. To them “all men” meant rich, White male property owners — not women, not people of color, not those without property, and certainly not poor people, slaves or Indigenous people.
From the start, our country has struggled to make sense of the inherent conflict between language, practice and intent. Racism, xenophobia, misogyny and unchecked avarice are built into our society and our laws. Indeed, the history of the United States is understood best as a series of conflicts about these very issues. We failed because we have never honestly resolved these conflicts.
Should we burn it down and start a new plutocracy? The answer is also obvious.
We are doing that right now! Many powerful empires/countries have come and gone. Very few lasted more than 350 years. Essentially all failed when the disparity of wealth and opportunity among the citizens became so massive that most felt that revolution was their only practical choice.
The United States is remarkably close to that point now. In fact, we may have already passed it. The nation’s 800 billionaires hold more wealth than half the nation. Those at the bottom have been starved of the opportunity to succeed, and many of them are women, people of color, and stuck in generational poverty created by the wealthy who control government. Remembering Lincoln’s famous quote, “a house divided cannot stand.”? We are there.
Can it be “fixed”? No! Not with the current structure. Fixing the current system would require that rich, White males and others relinquish some of their wealth, power and privilege. That is not going to happen since the system protects them. The only peaceful way to change the entire system requires the participation of all citizens. The privileged class must accept the fact that their behavior is bad for everyone, including themselves.
Is there hope? Yes, but the window of opportunity for change is ridiculously small. The entire world knows that the U in USA is a fantasy. Will we admit it to ourselves and take the action necessary to honestly call ourselves united? I do not know.
Dr. Jeff Smith, a lawyer and medical doctor, retired in 2023 after serving 14 years as county executive of Santa Clara County. Prior to that he was chief medical officer of Contra Costa County, where he had previously served as a county supervisor.