At 250, What Is America?

 

 

The bicentennial year of 1976 seemed like such a big deal, either because it really was or because everything seemed larger than life to a kid. I was just nine years old when America celebrated its last milestone birthday, and I remember the excitement surrounding that July 4th. Now, as we hit 250, there is still pride in a nation that leads the free world, but it is obvious that we are fractured and divided and quite concerned over the future.

Has America peaked — or is it just in transition and confronting challenges that all great societies must deal with?

The backbone of the country’s founding — those seeking a new start in a free world, where capitalism drove everything, and where the rights of the people trumped that of the government, seems more distant to me. The nation is gripped by too many groups of people feeling entitled, to the point they would welcome socialism or even Communism. Every demographic feels disenfranchised, victimized, or marginalized.

We can’t seem to agree on anything and the extremes of both political parties tear us further apart from the center that we so desperately need to arrive at.

There have always been two America’s co-existing uncomfortably. There are always haves and have nots, always racial disharmony, always immigrant tensions, and always calls for peace with every generational march to war. If you look carefully at our history, only for a handful of moments was there unity or harmony in the nation.

Some of it depended on the economy, politics, peace, or certain watershed moments, but it seemed America was on the same page when WWII ended, JFK was killed, MLK was assassinated, the moon landing, the go-go 1980s, 9/11, the promise of the Internet of the 1990s, and the victorious election of hope and change Obama. None of that lasted very long, however.

Perhaps one thing we can agree on about America is that we keep trying to find ways to broaden our welcome tent. Initially, America treats you like an enemy. Just ask any group marginalized by hate, prejudice, fear, and ignorance. It is a long list, each suffering different degrees of being abused, feared, or ostracized. But we keep making room for more minorities to find their place in this country.

However, what seems to be changing is that in the process of making room for others, there is a tearing away of groups that previously achieved acceptance, and there is an attempt at dismantling the nation’s majority as a cost to elevate others. One group’s rights is coming at the expense of others, when instead we should be striving for a respectful equality and not just a reset on who gets subjugated unfairly.

I am not a political pundit nor do I have easy solutions. I love what this country could be and I respect where it’s been. I wish that we spent more time finding common values and supporting each other, instead of our alienating us vs them discussions and interactions.

I have lost the faith in our democratic process to protect and heal us. I also am so frustrated in how so many people can be misinformed, lazy voters, and hateful in their treatment of others.

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6,750,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2026, 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum