Thoughts on the world we’re shaping, and the one we’ll leave behind.
I swore I wouldn’t get into politics. Don’t take the bait, I thought; it’s a loser’s game. But as I’ve gotten older, living around the world from Salt Lake City to Manila, I’ve realized there’s no escaping it. Opinions form whether you like it or not, not for the sake of the fight, but for clarity and understanding.
US politics runs the show everywhere. Of course it does. The dollar talks, the markets adapt. You can’t ignore it. I lived in a red state myself, saw it up close, and will always appreciate the wonderful host family that took me in at the age of 16 without hesitation. They showed me America’s promise isn’t tied to its leaders. The US used to do the impossible, launching world-changing ideas and companies. But now it feels like the energy that built it is running on fear, drama, and division. This isn’t about left versus right. Both camps have their truths.
Politicians should have a simple job: represent the people, make practical decisions, and push society forward without the center stage light on all the time. Politics should be about compromise, conversation, and meeting halfway. But exactly that middle ground is vanishing.
Algorithms & AI are eating up the space for listening and thinking, pitting outrage against insight, clicks against facts. Political discourse blares on, the U.S. leadership more and more a circus for attention. Amplified online, the shouting never stops. Offline, the cracks deepen into wounds. From Charlie Kirk’s assassination to Minnesota legislators Melissa and Mark Hortman shot in their own home, the fallout is terrifying.
I think about my daughter and feel the weight of the not so distant future.
How do I tell her that leaders can act like kids on a playground with no rules?
I won’t.
I can’t.
We can’t let intimidation and theater replace integrity and competence. But there’s a chance for change. The systems, the rules, the platforms, they’re all human-made. We built them. We can change them. We can teach kids to think critically, to lead with empathy, to see when things are broken.
AI magnifies our worst instincts, but it also can boost our clarity, reason, and guts. Leadership doesn’t have to be a performance; it can be thoughtful, careful, kind, and humane.
If there’s one thing to remember, it’s this: the world we inherit is the one we create.
Our politics, our algorithms, our leaders, they reflect us. We can step back, take an honest look, and aim for a better reflection. One that matters for the next generation. One that unfixes our minds.
Life is lived,
Willy