America, it's time to win

This letter is to my American friends out there.

Posted on November 04, 2024

I know there are always many things to complain about from the inside, but the country you have is truly exceptional. It's not the best, at least to live in, mind you (for that you should come to us in Europe), but overall, there's no peer to the US in all of human history.

This is because America was built by people going there to become winners, and thus created a country of winners.

This is even how the whole story started: Initially looked at by the Crown as a joke going too far by enterprising vagabonds not wanting to pay taxes, your very first act was to win your statehood. Gradually, you've won against nature, your neighbors, and the people of the land (appalling as it is viewed today). You won against your Southern half. In the First World War, you learned to win intercontinentally, and in the Second, to win globally. You learned that you can't exclude part of your people, and they, too, should have all the rights of the winners. You've won the space race; you've won the Cold War. You didn't win in Vietnam first, but in the long run, you've won an ally. You've won the internet, you somehow managed to win with the Great Recession, and, arguably, you won Covid (but for that, you needed a Hungarian Noble laureate; you've won her over, too).

Today, after the presidential election, you might feel all kinds of emotions. For those of you being miserable, I can offer some consolation: This, too, shall pass. If you're high-spirited, a word of caution: This, too, shall pass. Tomorrow you'll still all be Americans, born winners, but your fortunes are tied to extending your hands to your fellow Americans.

America, you will win.