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Failing forward has never worked.
“No society can flourish of which the greater part is poor and miserable.”
― Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
It’s hard to believe how much things have changed in the last twenty years. For instance, the 1990’s saw a wave of innovations come out of the United States that changed the world. The internet and personal computing put the entire globe on a new path; a victory that the US heavily celebrated.
I’m too young to remember the collapse of the USSR, or the triumphalism that followed in the West. My political awakening — like many of my generation — coincided with the destruction of the twin towers.
I remember the confusion and the chaos that followed. I remember the tears and the bewildered faces that asked, “How could this happen to us?” And I remember the anger that erupted in their hearts.
At that time, I had only the principles of my family and country to guide me. I had been told that to work hard and compete was an honor and a privilege. I was taught that America was the best country on Earth and no one could ever defeat it because it didn’t take short cuts.
They told me Americans didn’t back down from a challenge.
