Editor’s Note: Day 163 of the Great Con II. A presentation by the Secretary of Defense sounded like a ringmaster for the greatest show on Earth. Iran’s nuclear danger remains because they still have the portable material, yet if the media stops antagonizing the situation, the Ayatollah’s time could end organically. Let the change come from within, with the Iranian people themselves. Learn the lesson from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan - we’re not good at nation-building. Give Iranians the room to do it themselves and stay the hell out. In the meantime, between efforts to sell off public lands and ignoring court rulings, the slide from American values to Moscow rules continues.

Fox News and social media are the most significant factors in our division today. Fear-mongering sells much quicker. Our evolutionary programming prompts us to react to danger and threats more quickly than we think ahead. We don’t want to be the fool that misses a sign, so the signs are made more clickable, watchable, and profitable, leading us to further entrenchment and division.

This got me to thinking about what we would consider the common ground of today. We talk about it as if that ground truly existed, perhaps lying barren somewhere, but what is it?

My exploration of recent surveys revealed a surprising level of agreement among Americans. Maybe not 100% but enough harmony to keep us together through civil war, world wars, racism, 9/11, January 6, McCarthy, and Watergate. Here are a few areas to know.

Despite attempts to get rid of DEI, Americans overwhelmingly endorse equality as a national value. A comprehensive Siena College survey of over 6,000 Americans found that support for equality scored an impressive 82 out of 100 across all political groups, including Trump and Biden voters, left, right, and center. This means that, regardless of party, most Americans believe in equal treatment and opportunity for all citizens.

You can see this in the consensus against picking up immigrants off the street or off the job without due process. There may be disagreement on who should be in the country, but Americans by and large want everyone to be treated with due process.

Americans also appear unwilling to return to the problems of the past. The same Siena study found high, consistent support for personal freedoms, including speech, religion, and the right to make individual choices.

The rule of law remains a fundamental value. Surveys show that about half of Americans, regardless of party, cite the rule of law as essential to democracy, and a majority oppose abuses of power, such as the misuse of the military or the Justice Department for political ends. This consensus includes a shared expectation that no one, not even the president, is above the law. Keep this in mind as the current administration will push as far as it can to bend or break the law. A majority of Americans are on the side of the law.

I've long believed a national vote would instantly create a unified healthcare system. Despite fierce debates over healthcare policy, most Americans agree on the importance of accessible, high-quality care beyond the ability to pay. Surveys reveal a majority backing reforms to make care more affordable and available. While opinions differ on the best system, the end goal is broadly shared. Think about the level of bankruptcy tied to healthcare. Who do you know that stays in a job for the access to healthcare? We all have knowledge of someone, either a student aging out of home or a retiree from work, that have the gap years of no coverage.

There is no other singular issue in the United States that would both advance community cohesion and release Americans to higher purposes than to guarantee health care.

There’s a reason all other advanced countries have it.

Environmental stewardship continues to be recognized as a common value. According to a 2025 Gallup poll, 57% of Americans believe the government is doing too little to protect the environment, the highest share in years, even if climate change as a broader issue is more polarized. What I fear has occurred is that the effort to cause doubt on climate change has been successful, and that has caused stagnation on other standards we typically hold for preserving and conserving natural resources for future generations.

We need to continue pressing forward on initiatives to remind Americans that action on climate change benefits future Americans and can be economically profitable.

A strong majority of Americans—74%—believe that leaders should always follow the U.S. Constitution, even if it means they can’t accomplish all their goals. There is also broad support for fundamental democratic principles such as voting rights, free speech, and fair elections. This respect for constitutional norms is a powerful unifying force, and it appears that Americans are concerned and aware of the efforts by the current administration to roll things back.

While I believe that education needs a major overhaul, there are disagreements and misunderstandings about how to do it. Americans broadly agree on the importance of high-quality public education for all children. Education consistently ranks as a top priority for government action, with majorities supporting efforts to improve schools and ensure students are prepared for the future, even at the university level. Be very wary of efforts to reduce the public bond that comes with neighborhood public schools.

Americans consistently express strong support for veterans and active-duty military personnel. The previous federal budget reflected this consensus, with record funding for veteran healthcare, benefits, and support services. This shared respect for those who serve is evident across political and demographic lines. The current administration plans deep cuts to traditional veterans’ services and has put forward a package that has been universally condemned.

Service to country is an area of broad consensus, whether military, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or Teach for America. Be mindful of these efforts to defund or underfund public initiatives. The concept of service to country needs to be enshrined, respected, and expected.

Public safety is a universal concern. Governors across the country, regardless of party, have prioritized crime reduction and community safety, and recent years have seen significant declines in violent and property crime. Americans support effective law enforcement, crime prevention, and behavioral health services to keep communities safe.

In closing, I was surprised at many of these findings, but maybe I shouldn’t have been. Most of the news we take in is of dissension, not cooperation, and until you get into the context of real discussions via journals, books, essays, and yes, surveys, it is easy for one to forget that we have many things in common.

These points are not just theoretical—robust research and polling data support them. They reveal that for all of our differences, we still share a deep commitment to equality, liberty, progress, and the well-being of people.

We want common ground.

By focusing on these areas of consensus, we can have more conversations from a place of shared values, building the trust necessary to tackle more contentious issues.

It will be hard.

It will be challenging.

But there is always some common ground if we honestly look for it.

In the current effort to defund PBS, it’s important to remember that broadcasting started as a means of public education. The federal government spends very little on public broadcasting in the schema of the overall budget. Total cost accounting would show a significant positive impact on generations of American children. It is nothing more than hate to defund public education available regardless of ability to pay. I am reminded that this isn’t the first effort to do this by this video of the influential and legendary Fred Rogers.

Given our current situation now with Israel, take a watch at this video where the journalist traveled on both sides of the green line. It is well worth viewing for the local opinions from both sides of the fence. Some thoughts shared will be familiar, but some of them will not. We must understand that most global grief stems from unresolved, intergenerational problems. For these issues, you have two sides that don’t want to look weak, and the people are caught in the middle. This is the downfall of democracy and why autocratic individuals say, “Look, the people can’t govern themselves,” and then gain strength using the emotions of the populace.

You’ll get more learning by watching this than from many sources of news.

To the ones who woke up and didn't feel "happy"

You saw through the illusion.

The masks, the noise, the pretending.

You stopped chasing shiny distractions.

You stepped out of the game.

You saw the pain of the world.

And now you feel... empty. Sad. Lonely.

Maybe even lost.

But you are not broken.

You have awoken to a world still asleep.

Maybe you heard that awakening would feel amazing,

That if you did it right, you'd be "happy."

This is not the blissful, Instagram-ready “awakening” that sells well.

...and so no one told you about this part:

The sadness. The isolation. The loneliness.

That part is also natural... you are mourning.

Not just your past beliefs,

but the false comfort they gave you.

Maybe your illusions about the world fell apart.

You are detoxing from what was fake,

from identity, from ego.

You are being peeled, and that hurts.

But what's left will be honest and true.

This is more valuable than happily sleeping behind masks.

The world and ego will try to pull you back:

"Smile more."

"Just be positive."

"Manifest better."

"You're doing it wrong."

But your awakening craves realness, not fluff.

Truth, not comfort.

This raw, shaky place can be harsh, I know, but it is sacred.

Because from here, authentic choices become possible.

You're not failing. You're becoming.

And if you are in this space, you're not alone.

I see you, I am there with you.

And Now….

I hope your summer reading is going well. I’ve just finished a book on the Allied nations in WWII, while one of our kids has been reading on the history of the Ireland troubles, and another has been reading about female evolution. I know. Doesn’t sound like leisure reading. The key is to simply find enjoyment in reading, whatever the books may be.

Continue to practice your gratefulness, and remember: most all of humanity across the world want to live in peace and happiness.

Be a good human.