Glory to Ukraine!
Glory to the defenders of Ukraine and the entire modern civilization!
Today in the issue:
- Independence Day: The United States of America turned 250 years old
▶ On Saturday, the USA celebrated its 250th birthday. In other circumstances, this day would be a reason for universal joy, pride, a look into the past, and new expectations. In other circumstances, this day would be a day of national unity. Unity around the United States of America as a unique idea, unity based on the values on which the country was built.
Today, the situation is different. Because the country is very seriously divided.
In 1976, when the United States turned 200 years old, I entered the tenth grade. I followed how the USA’s 200th anniversary was celebrated by listening to the Voice of America. I vividly remember the speech given 50 years ago, on July 4, 1976, by President Gerald Ford. For a Soviet teenager, even one who regularly listened to Western radio stations by that time, this speech was very impressive. Today its text is easily found on the Internet. Ford spoke at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed, when 13 British colonies announced the creation of a new state – the United States of America, a new state, for the first time in history, not founded on the proclamation of statehood for a titular nation, not on the proclamation of statehood founded on religious unity, but founded on VALUES – values of personal freedom, equality of all people in their rights and equality before the law, on the values of democracy – the election and change of power in accordance with the results of regular elections, the separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, with a clear separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches, control of the second over the first, and with the special role of the judiciary, completely independent from the other two branches.
Yes, of course, the founding fathers, as they are called in America, in 1776 intended equality and rights for white men. Blaming them for this today, however, is impossible. Every era has its own frame of reference. Today, the frame of reference in which only white men were considered fully human may seem shameful. And that’s natural. But the ideas proclaimed by the founding fathers of the USA began to live and develop their own life. And eventually, all people came to be considered simply people. With equal rights, equal before the law. This was a very difficult path. The Civil War, and another hundred years of political struggle after it for equal rights for all to become an unyielding law. The fight for women’s rights. The fight for minority rights. But step by step, America proved that the values on which it is founded are the source of its own development and serve as an example to the entire world.
On July 4, 1976, President Gerald Ford, a Republican, said in his speech dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the USA:
On Washington’s birthday in 1861—two weeks after six states formed their own confederacy (which marked the beginning of the Civil War – I.A.)—Abraham Lincoln arrived here at Independence Hall, aware that in ten days he would face the most severe national crisis in our then 85-year history.
“I am filled with deep emotion,” he said, “as I stand here where the wisdom, patriotism, and devotion to principle, which gave birth to those institutions on which we live, were joined together.”
Today we can all share these simple and noble feelings. Like Lincoln, I experience both pride and humility, joy and reverence, standing where two centuries ago the United States of America was born in the spirit of freedom and dedicated to the principle that all men are created equal.”
“The American Revolution was and remains unique in that it was carried out not only in the name of freedom but also in the name of law. At its very beginning, the Declaration of Independence proclaimed the divine origin of human rights and defined the purpose of government power—as understood by Americans. This purpose is to ensure the protection of individual rights even from infringements by that very power. However, the Declaration did not specify how precisely to achieve this goal or what exact system of governance to create.”
“The Constitution was created to fulfill the promises proclaimed in the Declaration. The Declaration was not directed against the institution of government itself, but against its abuses. It defined the proper role of the state: to ensure the rights of the individual and to guarantee the safety and well-being of citizens. In modern society, no person can handle this alone, so the state is not an evil, but a necessary good.”
“It is heartening to realize that in our lifetime we have become participants in the process of strengthening freedom and expanding equality—a cause that began here so long ago. This combination of correcting injustices and expanding rights has brought the blessing of freedom to 215 million Americans. However, the struggle for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness never concludes with a final victory. Each generation of Americans—and indeed all of humanity—must continually strive to realize these ideals. Freedom is a living flame that needs to be nurtured, not dead ashes to be revered—even in the bicentennial year.”
“As we enter the third century of our history, we understand that much still needs to be done. We must expand the personal independence and opportunities of all Americans to fully realize their potential. We must guarantee every citizen’s right to privacy. We must make America more beautiful by bringing the works of human hands into harmony with nature. We must create a safer society where people can pursue happiness without fear of crime or technological threats. We must establish a more stable international order—in political, economic, and legal terms. We must build on the successes of the past century by improving people’s health and defeating diseases. We must continue to unlock the mysteries of the universe—both beyond our planet and within ourselves. We must strive to improve the quality of life for Americans—at work, at leisure, and in their own homes.”
“President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, speaking on behalf of a mighty nation strengthened by millions of immigrants who became part of the American historical path, warned new tyrannies: ‘We—born free and believing in freedom—are ready to fight to preserve it. We, like all who share our deep faith, would rather die standing than live on our knees.’
The world knows where we stand. The world consistently watches the actions of Americans—whether for better or worse—because the United States today remains the most successful embodiment of humanity’s universal hope.
The world may follow us, or it may not, but we are at the forefront, for our entire history tells us that it is our duty. Freedom is the equal and inalienable right of all people, men and women. The establishment of justice and peace on the international stage will largely depend on the peace and justice we create here at home, where we continue to lead the way for others.”
Fifty years have passed since then. The Voice of America, which made this speech of the 38th president available to the entire world 50 years ago, translated into many languages, was destroyed in 2025 by the 47th president.
Just 17-18 years after Gerald Ford’s speech, what was later called the “Gingrich Revolution” began in the US—a sharp shift of the Republican Party to the right, a turn from conservatism that led to MAGA-neofascism within just over twenty years.
Fifty years ago, Republican President Ford, addressing the entire nation, spoke about values, the shared values upon which this country is based, the price it paid to defend these values of freedom, democracy, and equal rights, and what needs to be done to preserve them.
Today, Republican President Trump, delivering speeches two days in a row—at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and on the National Mall in Washington—acts as the supreme divider of the country. He declares his political opponents, the Democrats, communists, frightening people with claims that they are planning to establish communism in America, and, addressing exclusively members of his party in Congress, demands they pass a bill called the “Save America Act,” which he believes should ensure the unchangeable power of the Republican MAGA-party for decades to come.
The 47th president utters seemingly correct words, “Communism is the complete opposite of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is death, tyranny, and the pursuit of evil.” Yet, he labels the Democrats as communists and accuses them of supposedly seeking to establish communism in America.
Some might find this laughable. However, when recalling history, these words cannot elicit a smile. Because there is no difference between accusing today’s American Democrats of being communists and accusing hundreds of thousands of being “spies” and “agents” for all conceivable and inconceivable intelligence services, as was done in Stalin’s USSR. Both are phenomena of precisely the same order. Manipulating consciousness to create an impression of a fortress besieged by imaginary enemies that needs to be protected from these very enemies.
Enemies of the values that underpin the US, of course, exist in today’s world. Those who completely deny these values and fight against them include non-communist Russia and communist China. Also joining them are theocratic Iran and communist North Korea.
But the 47th president declares American liberals as communists, “appoints” them as enemies, and intends to fight exclusively against them.
Never in the 250-year history of the United States has any president before Trump used Independence Day for domestic political struggle. All presidents who spoke on this day tried to unify the country. Unite around the VALUES upon which it is founded. The 47th president further divides an already divided country.
The reason why I recalled President Ford’s speech from 50 years ago today is not just because I remembered listening to it on the Voice of America. It’s because it’s an example of how a head of state who wants to unite the country based on common VALUES should speak. Ford’s words become even more powerful when recalled in their historical context. They were spoken at the height of the 1976 presidential election campaign. But President Ford spoke as the president of all Americans. There wasn’t a word about the elections in his speech. He didn’t make any campaign promises. He tried to unite the country with his speech. Around common VALUES. Leaving political debates about how to develop these values out of the celebration.
The stark contrast between today’s USA and the country from 50 years ago is that the country is extremely divided. In the late 1990s – early 2000s, the “Gingrich revolution” led to a split into “red,” Republican, and “blue,” Democratic states. With opposing positions on many value issues. By 2016, this division led to the rise of the MAGA movement in the Republican Party, with Trump as its leader.
The question of whether the USA will remain true to the values on which they were founded remains open. Because the MAGA movement’s desire to establish authoritarian rule in the country, a proto-fascist regime up to a dictatorship, hasn’t gone away.
And that’s why emotions these days are more anxious than festive. The celebration cannot overshadow the concern for the future.
Joe Biden called America the greatest experiment in history, a unique country founded on the idea – the idea of Freedom and equality for all people. It would be very sad if the torch of Freedom were to go out, if the ideas on which the USA was founded were to fade into history for Americans.
We very much hope that the future will be as Gerald Ford envisioned it 50 years ago.
For the USA to remain a country of Freedom, Democracy, Human Rights, to be a worthy and important part of the free world they created – a world where all people are free and have equal rights, where the dignity of each individual is the highest value.
Whether this will happen depends on Americans.
There are 930 days left until the end of the story called “Fear: Trump in the White House” © (title of Bob Woodward’s book, published in 2018).
Thank you to everyone who read. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Take care of each other, help each other. Health to all.
Ultimately, what happens in the world depends on us. Whether we fight evil, do Good, remain merely observers, passively waiting and believing that someone somewhere will decide for us, or fight evil and do everything possible to ensure Good prevails.
We must not allow evil to triumph. The victory of evil would mean the end of the world we live in. We cannot allow this. Especially now.
Ukrainian Friends, I embrace and love you all. Take care of each other, I plead with you.
Ukraine is and will always be.
And evil will be defeated and punished. This is inevitable.
