LIX. The History of American Resolve

2025 Will Be a Year We Need It

America is a nation built on resolve.

Behind almost every success are stories of perseverance and unwillingness to give in or give up. From the Revolution, when enough colonists resolved to govern themselves, to the Civil War, when enough Americans heeded the call that the American dream, with all of its rights and responsibilities, was owed to those in bondage as well.

During the Great Depression, when people were struggling to survive, eating road kill and facing bread riots, the nation pulled together under strong leadership to overcome adversity. This resolve continued through the world wars, when Americans understood that international threats could become threats at home, and during the civil rights movement, when many gave their lives for the freedom of others.

But it's not just the big historical moments that showcase American resolve. It's also evident in the small acts of everyday living. Teachers who continue to educate despite administrative and political pressures to conform to metrics and ideology. Roofers, delivery workers, landscapers; all those who labor under the hot sun day in and day out so others can have lasting memories. Social workers, librarians, and ministers who tirelessly work to promote the better selves in communities.

Where there is resolve, there is ultimately success.

The tradition of making New Year's resolutions has deep roots in American history. As far back as the 18th century, Christians would hold services on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, reflecting on the past year and making resolutions for the year ahead. By the early 19th century, the practice had become widespread, with newspapers even publishing humorous resolutions. This tradition has has continued to evolve, with everyone aware of the most common resolution of losing weight.

Regardless of where you stand on making resolutions, I would urge just a moment before the stroke of midnight to consider a few things:

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Resolve to be the master of your own mind. Don't give it away cheaply or freely. In an age of information overload, it's crucial to think critically and independently. Be mindful of the information you are taking in, and as we are always taught, consider the source.

Don't believe everything you read or hear. This is typically taught skillwise at home and in middle and high school but often forgotten as we grow into adulthood. Be aware of the psychological impact of media and choose your sources wisely.

Resolve to read more. Let the thirst for knowledge open your mind to the complex world in which we live. Reading can broaden our perspectives and deepen our understanding of diverse viewpoints.

Resolve to have more perspective on our place in the world. I think of the famous picture of Earth from space, first seeing ourselves on a big blue dot. There is another picture from further out, and without an arrow pointing to where we are in the picture, you would be hard-pressed to find it. This cosmic view can help us appreciate our shared humanity.

Resolve to be a better human. This is only possible when we have regular moments to be with ourselves, examining our wants and needs and where they come from. Without strong self-awareness, personal growth is difficult. We will lay blame where there is none, and create drama instead of peace.

Resolve to practice gratitude daily. Take a moment each day to reflect on what you are thankful for, fostering a positive mindset. This in no way means being passive when action is needed, but to seek positive balance to the routine.

Whatever you decide, remember: we come from a long line of working to be and do better. From farmers who face unpredictable challenges to provide food for the nation, to the countless individuals who have overcome adversity to achieve their dreams, the American spirit of resolve is and has always been there.

And in 2025, we are going to need loads of it.

Quick NO BS Hits

This is a piece you usually don’t hear because it doesn’t fit into the narrative being fed. Many of you have heard of California's new minimum-wage law, which raised the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour. Contrary to the predictions of business groups and Republican politicians, the law did not lead to job losses. Instead, the state's fast-food sector actually gained jobs in the six months following the wage increase.

The article highlights how economic misinformation can spread quickly and be difficult to combat. It also points out that the minimum wage can be raised higher than previously believed without negatively impacting employment. Fast food businesses are still working on automation efforts, and what we might end up seeing is the example mentioned in this article, where you have fewer higher paid workers and more robots.

Nevertheless, there’s an overall theme here that can’t be missed. Good public policy is needed in cases where the free market will not act. Public policy that protects jobs is going to be critical as we continue to automate, and progress through good public policy has been a lasting hallmark of American democracy.

Don’t forget it.

You didn’t know my grandma survived the holocaust? - (this is a post from Reddit by user blunt-force-traumatize-them-back.)

I thought I should share this because my grandma’s pretty awesome.

So, for some background, my grandma was born in Poland, although very young, remembers basically everything that she experienced. She was hidden and moved around Poland and into France during the entire time of the war, and spent time in a DP (displaced persons) camp in Germany after the war. The only way for them to escape Poland was using fake papers, and would eventually end up in Australia, where from there she would marry my grandfather in America. Now they are pretty well off, and many would consider exhibiting the American dream—coming from nothing. My grandma has an American accent, and would never expect that in her childhood, she experienced some of the worst crimes known to man.

Story time: my grandparents are at dinner with some friends and their friends. Now, the husband of the friends of friends starts talking about immigration and spewing all sorts of nonsense propaganda. Illegal immigrants are taking jobs, bringing over crime, raping people, and are destroying democracy. You know, a bunch of nonsense. So my grandma, the elegant sophisticated woman that she is, goes “before you continue, I thought there is something I should tell you. I was an illegal immigrant and would have been murdered if not for my fake papers. Would you have preferred that I was killed all those years ago?” The look on the guys face, I just wish I was there to see it. After that, she spent like 20-30 minutes describing how she witnessed her entire family (except for her parents and sister) get slaughtered, and had to live under floorboards for years. Almost get blown up on multiple occasions, and hear the deafening screams of her cousins as their parents are taken away and then cut short with the sounds of gun shots ring. Let’s just say, the other guy retracted his statements on immigration and started to rethink his entire personal philosophy.

Proud grandchild.

Edit: thank you all for saying such kind things. I’m seeing her for Hanukkah in a few days and plan on showing her everyone’s messages. Will update the post with her reaction.

Edit 2: for those wondering, the United States government makes it extremely difficult for those seeking asylum to actually get refugee status, especially from the Americas. Due to this fact, many illegal immigrants are those that are trying to, or should be classified as refugees.

Sesame Street was so much a part of my school days. What I remember of that time was if you didn’t get an opportunity to watch it in school or when you were sick at home, you missed it. The characters were familiar, and many of the shorts that dealt with words and numbers were repeated often in a manner that was never boring. During 2nd and 3rd grade, it was shown once or twice a week in class when our teacher would turn on the television that hung in the corner.

I cannot help but feel discouraged by this article. I simply don’t see the plan being discussed succeeding. It is as if there is too much network and profit driving the decisions. It really needs to find a home again more in the public domain. For those of us that remember shows like this, Mr. Rogers, Between the Lions, Reading Rainbow, Arthur, Electric Company, it is simply nice to have good kid contact without a lot of commercial selling. I firmly believe there is a market for this, mabye even a national gofundme effort, especially as parents are becoming more aware of too much screen time and scrolling. When it comes to screentime, it must always be quality over quantity.

I’m sharing this one because I’ve been urging readers to keep an eye on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Now we have a first of its kind in this example, but it will not be the last. AI will change everything it touches, and unless we have policy makers in place that merge protection of jobs with the power of AI, we are going to have a lot of societal issues. This is the first one I have read about where AI is completely running the show. Here’s the big part of this. It will adapt to the level of the student, which I think is a major benefit of AI going forward. My fear is the replacement of the teacher. This is nothing more than a financial decision, and not one based on education. If we think that AI will replace the touch and discernment of a human, we will have a rude awakening.

By Fourandsixty - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38781674

This is a short read I finished up this month, though it can’t be judged by its size. Howard Thurman’s The Search for Common Ground is a thought-provoking exploration of human interconnectedness, written by the influential Howard University theologian in 1971. It’s timely for a lot of reasons. Thurman weaves in stories of growing up in the South and his search for understanding and how he has come to believe that all living things are created for, and cannot avoid, mutual interdependence, challenging the Western emphasis on individualism. It is not preachy, and I found his deep search for meaning that blends both spiritual and science to be quite enlightening.

He argues that the desire for inclusive community is inherent to human nature, transcending racial, ideological, and cultural boundaries. Thurman's work connects ecology to human community and applies these concepts to the civil rights struggle of African Americans. it is truly a powerhouse of thought for anyone who asks the deep questions of who am I and why am I here?

Over the last couple of years, I have occasionally gone to Aldis to see the products they have. They were well known throughout the covid times as having more affordable groceries. They have a massive expansion operation underway in the United States, and their footprint and no frills approach may be just what American consumers are ready for. This is a German company and as with most things European Union, they follow the science and take climate change seriously. They make it work and make a profit, which is all the more reason to be asking your favorite grocer why they aren’t following what the data says. Profit now without considering the external costs means more costs later for our kids.

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In closing, baseball fans everywhere know who Rickey Henderson was, who passed way too soon this past week. I watched him many times as a youth and three of his rookie cards were in my album that I long ago lost. I never got to see him play in person, but you always stopped to watch on television when he came up to bat or got on base. He was the king of base stealing and will probably be considered the all-time greatest leadoff hitter of the game. Here’s a nice little writeup on Henderson from several years ago.

We never know what the day brings, and we have minimal control over most things in life. Each year, my resolution is typically the same. To speak ill of no one. Frankly, it is damned hard to do, but it reminds me that I am the master of my own thoughts and what comes from my own mouth. Winning is in the effort, in the attempt. Better to live life trying, then not trying at all.

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