I'm not a new year's resolution person, but I do have a 2018 resolution for the USA.
AMERICA, BE GOOD.
I say this because you can't be great until you're good. And we simply are not good right now.
The country is tense. We have a liar for a president who willfully divides us. After losing the popular election by three million votes, he's belittled foreign allies, while stroking egos of select tyrants and prodding lesser stable ones towards nuclear war. He's welcomed endorsements from hate groups like the KKK – even calling them "fine people" after a protestor was run over and murdered. He's mocked people with disabilities, brought up penis size in presidential debates, described Africans as "all living in huts," all Haitians as having AIDS, and Latin Americans as "rapists" (he doesn't care much for minorities). He openly confessed to aggressive, profane sexual harassment of the American majority: women. (Then flip-flopped and said he didn't.) HE IS A LIAR. He can't appoint a cabinet with appropriate skills or morals. Half have lost their jobs after a few months. He's vilified journalists as "the enemy of the people" (despite the free press being protected by our FIRST amendment, not the second). He called athletes "son of bitches" for exercising free speech. He banned words like "evidence-based" and at the same time supported the surge of "alternate facts." He settled for fraud a few days before taking office. We've never seen his tax records. He asked for Russia to tamper with our "free election" – or smear his opponent at the very least. Russia did so. Meanwhile, our new president turned his back on US territories enduring natural disasters. He bickered with their local leaders by social media ("sad!") and excused his lack of help due to "big water." He supported a child molester in a state election. After bickering about Obama's golf schedule for years, he more than doubled his predecessor's tee times. At great expense to us all. The world notices all this. International tourism to the US is down, and the reputation of the USA as some sort of bedrock for democracy and "freedom" has plummeted too.
NONE OF THIS IS GOOD FOR AMERICA.
I know this truth. You know this truth. Every sensible person, regardless of their political persuasion, knows it. We need to move on from him. And see if we can't be GOOD again someday. Maybe even great.
Happy 2018.