A Vision for the Future

The further I wade into this public project, the more emboldened I feel. There’s a hunger out there in the world for what we are doing here that’s palatable and real. I can feel it in all the thoughtful responses I get from you all, the 100-200 new people a day joining the cause, and the comments and encouragement I get from friends every single day. There are over 15,000 people from all over the world reading Profit+ now and if trends continue as they have in recent months, we’ll have one of the most influential global newsletters in the world by the end of the year. What a profound opportunity.

Writing Profit+ and producing the Nick Halaris Show has me absolutely convinced that there’s an overwhelming majority in the democratic West that is interested in things like civil discourse, rational debate, and decisive political action—i.e. the exact opposite of what we’ve been served up over the last several decades. People are desperate for change, practical solutions, and a shared set of values. The wave of hyper-individualism, which crashed into the halcyon days of the neoliberal global order, has finally run out of steam. And in the void it has left, stands a citizenry feeling betrayed and maybe even ashamed a bit by all the false promises of the age of selfishness. 

How did we get here? 

It comes down to vision—or, better said, the lack of one. One of the biggest problems in the world today is the failure of the global elite to articulate a compelling vision for the future. With nothing to rally around, apathy, division, and discord are inevitable. 

Looking at President Biden’s State of the Union address you would think that the axes of political division in this country are about big things like whether to fund the war in Ukraine, what to do about abortion, and, of course, what to do about taxes. But beneath these big issues are a thousand little fractures—the NIMBYs blocking growth, the unhoused dying on our street, the families torn apart by the drug epidemic, local political corruption, elite capture of the legislative process, a racially biased criminal justice system…—and when you add all these up, they are just as important, if not more. 

What we need today is a noble, unifying vision for America, something we can all believe in and support. This cannot be some vision of global conquest or about maximizing economic opportunity. Those days are over. Nor can it be about advantaging one group of people over another. No. This vision has to be one of shared prosperity, one based on the idea that every single person on the planet should have, at least, a fighting chance to thrive. This vision must be backed by the full might and fury of our great power and an incorruptible moral fortitude. Our enemies, foreign and domestic, must know that we will simply not tolerate evil in the world. Nor can we allow our resolve to be broken by the alluring charms of the expedient. We must do what is right, no matter the cost. Finally, this vision must rest upon a steadfast belief in our common global humanity. Our policies and actions must be at the same time both smart—i.e. rational and decisively effective—as well as just and compassionate.

Writing this, I realize this vision seems a bit out there. But I believe in my heart that there’s a real demand in the world for something like this. A leader brave enough to rise above petty party politics and talk to the people in these terms could create a movement of unprecedented popularity. 

We are living in a most dangerous time, where freedom is literally hanging in the balance. The global race for AI dominance has begun. This race has the potential to be the most significant battle in the history of humanity, for these technologies possess enormous potential for good and an equal amount for evil. Who controls them matters a lot. While the global West appears to be winning the race, there’s no guarantee that continues. And even if it does, what assurance do we have that Western for-profit companies are going to use AI in responsible and benevolent ways? Just look at what’s happened to our society as a result of the Web 2.0 era. We cannot walk blindly into the AI future. 

Today is a time to recommit ourselves to the great task of democracy. In ages past our ancestors have answered this same call time and time again, even when it involved the greatest of sacrifices. Are we not worthy of our ancestors? Now is a time to raise our hands and answer the calls of citizenship in all its forms and manifestations. 

My challenge to you all is to start today! Start wherever feels right for you, even if that means something super local or small. Just take that first step in the direction of responsibility and then the next and the next and the next. If there’s something bothering you about your neighborhood or community, don’t just complain about it, step forward and try to make a difference. Engage in the conversations of the halls of power. Be a leader. Recruit others to the cause. Speak out at public meetings and hearings. Devote your time and resources to some cause or issue that goes beyond the narrow confines of your self-interest. 

The beautiful thing about democracy is that we don’t have to just accept the status quo. Democracy gives us the profound opportunity to play a part in the workings of history. Not only can we play in role in crafting a vision for the future but we can also play in role in making it come to life. What if we just decided as a country that we were going to seriously try to eliminate things like poverty, racism, and sexism from the world? What if we decided that we weren’t going to allow people to die in our streets from drugs or otherwise, no matter the cost? What if we decided we weren’t going to accept failing schools and a system of unequal economic opportunity? These things may be hard but they are possible and they are right. In my view, that implies there’s a moral imperative here crying out for our attention. If we can both do these things and we believe they are right, aren’t we obligated to do so? I think so.

The future is ours to make together. Let’s start today. 

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