September 11, 2001 was a horrible day in US history when thousands of innocent Americans lost their lives as the result of brutal terrorist attacks. But from this tragedy emerged unity. On September 12, Americans put aside differences, came together, and stood united in the face of adversity. If there was a single moment that captured this unity, it was when, after a joint press conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, Republican and Democrat members of Congress spontaneously started to sing, “God Bless America”.
Such unity is, at best, a distant memory. In the twenty plus years since, our country has been engaged in conflicts that don’t seem to end, a mortgage crisis, a pandemic, record inflation, spasms of political violence, exploding polarization, and now, political assassinations. I recently wrote about the spate of attempted assassinations over just the past year, which culminated in the murder of Charlie Kirk last week.
Far from coming together, the wake of the Kirk assassination has only seen bitter infighting and recriminations. Sessions of Congress have devolved into shouting matches, pundits have screamed at each other on TV, and social media has become a cesspool of calls for and justification of violence. Both sides seem intent to fan the flames of this very dangerous moment in U.S. history. It is as far from 9/12 as you could possibly imagine.
But in this darkness, there is a flicker of light. While the adults fall down in disgrace, some members of the younger generation have stood up. In Connecticut, the Young Republicans and the Young Democrats put out a joint statement condemning political violence. No finger-pointing or blame or attempts to score political points; no “both-sides” or “what-about-isms;” no qualifications or equivocations. Just a short statement that spoke with moral clarity and to the unity all Americans should embrace. And the speed by which it was done—put out the very day Kirk was killed—surely put to shame the ditherers and hand-wringers who call themselves leaders.
So, while we haven’t had another 9/12 moment (yet?), there is at least some hope. While Republican and Democrat members of Congress act like children, young Republicans and Democrats are the adults in the room. Maybe this younger generation gets it, and they will be the ones who bring us back from the brink? They are observing a country that is divided, weaker, and poorer, as the generations before them have squandered the economic, political, and cultural capital. But I’m seeing increasing signs of optimism, that there is a desire to change the trajectory, to set America on a different path.
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While it’s too early to tell, I hope they have the common sense, strength, and sense of purpose of their great-grandparents, the Greatest Generation, who truly saved the world. Given the mess we find our country in today, they are going to need it.
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VIKRAM MANSHARAMANI is an entrepreneur, consultant, scholar, neighbor, husband, father, volunteer, and professional generalist who thinks in multiple-dimensions and looks beyond the short-term. Self-taught to think around corners and connect original dots, he spends his time speaking with global leaders in business, government, academia, and journalism. He’s currently the Chairman and CEO of Goodwell Foods, a manufacturer of private label frozen pizza. LinkedIn has twice listed him as its #1 Top Voice in Money & Finance, and Worth profiled him as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Finance. Vikram earned a PhD From MIT, has taught at Yale and Harvard, and is the author of three books, The Making of a Generalist: An Independent Thinker Finds Unconventional Success in an Uncertain World, Think for Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence and Boombustology: Spotting Financial Bubbles Before They Burst. Vikram lives in Lincoln, New Hampshire with his wife and two children, where they can usually be found hiking or skiing.
