4th of July, Patriotism, Government and Technological Intelligence

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” — John F. Kennedy

Happy Independence Day! Almost 250 years ago a new form of political economy founded on a novel set of radical principles was born out a struggle for self-determination by a young people in a new land. The upstart nation dared to reject Monarchy and Nobility, replacing the rule of men with the rule of law and hereditary government with electoral representation. It wasn’t perfect but it got better with time and mostly things worked out on balance a lot better than in most other countries most of the time.

So in that regard it’s not such a bad thing to feel and express patriotism towards America if those feelings are based on affinity for founding principles and beliefs which have generally benefited the people and inspired others across the world.

On the other hand, we live in a moment in which absolutely every aspect of the way we view and organize our world is due to be called into question and submitted for review.

People tend to think that changes in political and economic philosophy occasion changes to government. But in reality, it is the revolution of the technological basis of economic value creation that leads to the transformation of the prevailing thought and governing structure of any given age. The American Revolutionaries were made possible by the ascendency of free market economics, and capitalism itself arose from the Industrial Revolution. Without the technological changes fundamental to economic activity, political revolution would not have been possible.

While many who consider themselves Patriotic look to the past and its preservation as their touchstone, it is important to realize that the success of American has been in its adaptability. The founding principles of the nation allowed for a continual renewal of the body politic. For example, over time voting and other rights expanded to include more and more of the population. In this light, the tendency to resist change could be considered un-American!

It’s important, on this Independence Day 2024, that we remind ourselves that it is the principles of the founders and the great documents they drafted that we celebrate and uphold. While adaptability is not often cited among the list of American beliefs and virtues, it ought to be.

Now would be an excellent moment to embrace change, as JFK suggested. A profound technological and economic transformation is beginning now. It will dwarf the Industrial Revolution in scale, scope and significance. Political and governmental changes will necessarily follow.

Can we carry forward the virtues of American principles established 250 years ago into this inevitable new Age of Intelligence? How will we creatively apply those principles to the emerging technological and economic future? Will we once again successfully adapt and thrive, or will we cling to the form of the past while strangling its essential nature?

It’s time to be at least as broad and open-minded as the American Revolutionaries of a quarter millennium ago and surpass them in our capacity to imagine a renewed, revitalized and revolutionized social, political and economic future.