America's Gyroscope

Walter Isaacson’s new biography of Elon Musk is all over the news, and many see their reflection in this complex man: wealthy, genius, charming, polarizing, combative, and mercurial. Quoting Shakespeare, Mr. Isaacson sees Musk as a man “molded out of faults.” While Musk’s Asperger syndrome and his “demonic modes” make him hard to deal with, it gives him a voice, which is why he bought Twitter.

In the book, Musk quotes Albert Einstein, who lived during the McCarthy era, as saying that American Democracy seems pretty resilient and has an internal gyroscope that makes it right itself when it looks like it’s about to go off the cliff.

Looking at these gyrations at the global level, we see China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea aligned against America and the West. Domestically, we are at each other’s neck, facing two bad presidential choices in 2024. Locally, our streets are littered with the homeless, many of whom are mentally ill, addicted to drugs, and/or are outright criminals.

The big societal questions we face are not whether abortion should be legal but at what stage. Up to six weeks, most women are unaware of their pregnancy. A live birth abortion, on the other hand, would rightly be considered murder. Similarly, even as we honor the Second Amendment’s right to carry arms, we should question and restrict access to guns by children, mentally ill, drug addicts, and criminals.

Having lived in Boulder since 1970, I have seen it go from a conservative "dry town" to one where our political leaders are more concerned about the rights and safety of criminals and drug addicts than the rights of the citizens affected by their actions. 

Before Boulder turns into another San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, or New York, we must get involved, educate ourselves, and vote during the upcoming November City Council elections.

Meanwhile, I find it interesting that foreign-born Americans like Einstein and Musk seem to trust the functioning of America's internal gyroscope more than native-born Americans do. 

While it looks and feels like America is about to go off the cliff, count me an optimist.

— Sina.