What is America's Aim?

Did you know that, just three days after becoming Prime Minister, Winston Churchill gave his “blood, toil, tears and sweat" speech?

While remembered for that now-famous line, Churchill's most moving statement came several lines later, when he unequivocally described the looming Nazi threat:

You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.

2019 is weird for many reasons, but one of the pervasive aspects of modern society is an utter lack of clearly understood, well-articulated aims.

For example, many organizations – public and private – seem to exist for the sole purpose of soothing, promoting, and enriching their leaders. The executive and legislative branches of the American government come to mind. Only in aimless organizations would conspiracy theories, blatant stupidity, and stunts that threaten national security be so cavalierly accepted (for example, see thread below).

It's not just the American government, though.

Big Business

We, the purveyor of corporate weasel language, promised to "elevate the world's consciousness." Instead, the company turned raging dumpster fire is paying its maniacal founder billions to leave the company. Meanwhile, up to four thousand soon-to-be-fired We employees will walk out the door without any of the upside gains promised them. Too bad, do-gooders. Greed is king.

Facebook – and its bullshitting founder – is another example. At a minimum, in a healthy society, we should expect a billion-user American technology company to not actively promote the Russian dictator's disinformation campaigns. Only now, when nothing seems to matter, would this be a close call.

America has vast economic, military, and social potential, but we lack national purpose.

Agreeing on a set of common aims – freedom, prosperity, victory, whatever – would be a natural place to start.