Volume 9, Issue 27
In interviews immediately following his successful landing back on earth, Jeff admitted that his personal passion is the development of space for the benefit of impacting climate change. His dream apparently is to move all industries polluting the atmosphere into space for manufacturing purposes. He seemed to agree that Amazon was but a tool to realize his passion. Desiring to protect the fragile environment of the planet Earth through a vision of moving necessary manufacturing to keep the environment out of harm’s way is the ultimate American dream.
Throughout America’s history, there have been visionaries who could see a world beyond the present reality that was greater in human benefit than the sum of society’s current prevailing parts. These industrialists are more than inventors. They are philosophers of commerce who seek to bring progress to society through innovation. Henry Ford and Elon Musk are examples of this rare league of creative thinkers.
It is the exceptionalism of the United States of America that allows such men and women to pursue such extraordinary dreams.
America is based on the concept that a person can do anything they want as long as it is not against the law. Very seldom is an individual required to obtain the government’s permission to pursue a dream. One may need a license to be a doctor or a lawyer, but that is not imposed to restrict the pursuit of happiness. That is the state properly protecting citizens in general.
Sometimes a dream is founded in the confidence of the pursuer. Wilbur Wright, in 1899, penned a hand-written letter to The Smithsonian. “I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then if possible add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success.” In other words, send me everything you have on the subject and we’ll figure it out from there.
In 1903, two guys who owned and operated a bicycle shop built the first airplane to take flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. No government agency was required to give them permission to try. Their pet theories proven changed the world. Within two weeks, their “airplane” was doing figure eights. Within ten years, biplanes were major military instruments of World War I. Within twenty-two years, commercial airlines were transporting both passengers and the U.S. mail.
It took two guys from a bicycle shop to establish the concept of an airfoil in the design of a wing to provide lift. Scientists and engineers then took it from there, and the world has never been the same.
It is interesting that Wilbur Wright was concerned that Smithsonian officials would consider him a crank and not take him seriously. If permission were required, they would have considered him a crank, and not taken the risk to grant such permission. However, because it wasn’t against the law and government officials were inclined to facilitate their pursuit of happiness for their dream, they sent them all information known on the subject.
Jeff Bezos was not only granted permission to develop the Blue Origin rocket, but was encouraged to do so. Government officials, at least at NASA, see the benefit of private enterprise partnership.
This is an example of the exceptionalism of America.
In China today, there are said to be 78 startup companies purporting to be private corporations like Blue Origin developing a private space industry. The truth is that these companies are government owned, controlled, and directed by state policy. They exist to mimic American companies. It’s as if China’s national purpose is to copy American technology and corporate structure faster and faster, rather than to innovate themselves.
Most recently, China intervened with the ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing’s attempt to issue an IPO. This was necessitated because, in the government’s opinion, the company’s free enterprise objectives did not align with government objectives. This will always be China’s obstacle in getting ahead of competition economically. Stealing technology will never be cutting edge.
America has always been a nation inspired by the dreams of its explorers, pioneers, and settlers. There is no such word as “societeers,” but there should be. These are the individuals who followed in the footsteps of the explorers, pioneers, and settlers, to establish the framework of a moral society incumbent in the character of America … a history of people who believed that government exists to serve the people and facilitate, without restriction, their pursuit of happiness.
This is a day to reflect on what it means to be truly free to pursue the ultimate American dream, no matter how big that dream is or how much of a crank one may be perceived to be. This is a day to celebrate mankind’s creativity. This is a day to celebrate individual determination and passion. This is a day to celebrate God’s creation of the human spirit in relationship with Himself.
America is exceptional because, to date, it has not outlawed, as China has, the belief in a living God. The spiritual creation by an omniscient living God is the nourishment for the creativity of mankind.
Freedom is what allows creativity to flourish.
My name is Marc Nuttle and this is what I believe.
What do you believe?