SCNPolitics has been incubating for a long time.
I have been a student of politics since I was in high school, motivated then by what I perceived as the disparity between what the U.S. Government was saying about the reasons for and progress of the Vietnam war and what seemed to be happening on the ground in Vietnam, and what was happening on the ground in America, with our country deeply divided, demonstrations and rioting in the streets, and a lack of leadership.
And here we are again. For certain we have made some progress since those days. And for certain, many of the same issues remain unsolved and integral to our current division and dilemma.
Over the course of my career as a lawyer, I have been privileged to travel widely, talk with many experienced and insightful business leaders and government officials, and to observe, reflect, and try to find a way through the complexities of the world for my clients. And to try to make some sense of my own life.
Our nation and the world have evolved positively in many respects, but there is much work left undone. It is time that more of us become part of the solution, instead of remaining on the sidelines as part of the problem.
I started SCNPolitics with two ideas in mind.
First, to add my voice and some others to our nation’s political discourse. We need new and strong voices to encourage voters and politicians in our divided country to come together to solve our nation’s issues. We have wasted enough time and money on gridlock and politicians who serve their personal interests at the expense of our nation, and you and me.
As dangerous and deadly as the current pandemic may be, I believe our divided politics and our fundamentally slanted and dishonest discussions and debates, along with the wealth gap, racism and intolerance, are the greatest threats to our national and personal health and security.
Second, to explore and discuss what I believe are the three greatest challenges in life:
- understanding our own motivations, values, desires and responsibilities;
- learning to communicate more honestly and effectively with ourselves and those important to us; and
- trying to make good decisions and better decisions as we progress through life.
How did I arrive at this point in my life? Through trying to build a career that stretched my talents and resources, with the help of friends and without listening too much to the naysayers.
I began my career as a Democratic National Committee staffer, working on Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign and sitting in on the U.S. Senate’s Watergate hearings, watching the live testimony of President Nixon’s top aides concerning the Watergate break-in and subsequent attempted cover-up. It was awe-inspiring to see a bi-partisan Congress stand up for our founding principles against a president who had lost his way.
Then I turned to law, working first as a federal prosecutor in the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, followed by a long stint as a corporate, international business and trial lawyer. I negotiated contracts, tried cases, and worked to resolve disputes. I wrote my own speeches and presentations for juries, judges and business gatherings in the United States and China to persuade each audience of the merits of my case or business proposition. Throughout I remained a student of politics and international affairs. I also had the privilege to serve as President of the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce for several years.
Devising successful legal and business strategies and plans for cross-border projects between Chinese and U.S. companies and negotiating solutions that overcame the challenges of differing languages, cultures, values and legal and business systems was particularly educational and rewarding. Most interesting were my discussions with Chinese government and business leaders concerning the advantages of “the rule of law” and transparency between a government and its citizens.
In one extraordinary week at age 46, while serving as President of the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce I met with China’s Premier Zhu Rongi in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing along with a trade mission of U.S. companies exploring business opportunities in China. On Friday of the same week I was back in New York City in my “day” job, selecting a jury for the trial of a products liability case. The meeting with Premier Zhu in a China struggling to modernize and reform while maintaining a balance between the power of government and the voices of the people was in stark contrast with representing a private client in a dispute to be decided by a jury of peers before an impartial judge. Quite a lesson in government, politics and human nature.
Over the years, watching China modernize, open up and succeed on many levels was impressive. At the same time, watching our politics devolve into personal attacks, dishonest debate, distortion of language, denial of facts and science, and brazen actions of a broad array of politicians to promote “minority rule”, undermine the rule of law and the checks and balances that are a critical part of our democracy, has been particularly dispiriting.
I have always believed that “we the people” by concerted action, combining our passion, our voices and the tools of Democracy can and must make a difference in our own corners of life and nationally, to change our leadership and build a future of success, strength and hope for every American.
I still believe that today. Any change, any progress, begins with an idea, followed by study, inspiration, conversation and debate. After regrouping and refining our thinking we then need concerted action and the courage to risk failure for the reward of success and achievement.
Americans of all stripes need to come together and be as relentless and committed to upholding American democracy, values, traditions and ideals as the other side is to demolishing them for personal gain, greed and raw power.
It is easy to tear down. Now we need to find the inspiration, the creativity and the will to build a new and better nation for ourselves and the world. We need to refine and improve our imagination, our vision and the reality we create each and every day.
This site is not a screed against today’s decayed and dysfunctional Republican Party and President Trump. I would object to actions like theirs even if perpetrated by Democrats. Trumpism is just a symptom of a deeply diseased body politic in desperate need of some blood transfusions and intensive care. Equally true, the Democrats bear significant responsibility for failing to address more effectively the divisions in our society. We all share the blame for failing to nurture and elect better leaders.
All of us need to put our nation first in our political thinking, and remember how we got here. Imperfect as the U.S. may be, we are way ahead of other nations in providing and protecting freedom, opportunity, transparency and fairness. There is a reason people around the world want to emigrate to America. We need to remember what that is. But we are far from living up to our founding ideals. We need to continue that journey with more wisdom and more commitment. We can’t legislate our way to a better and stronger nation. We have to win hearts and minds.
SCNPolitics and I look forward to you joining our conversation and working together to develop deeper insight, make better decisions, create better government, elect better leaders and craft workable solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.
We inherited a rich, successful and inspiring country with a unique history and responsibility. We owe it to our children and generations to come, to leave our nation and the world far better than we found it.
Please join us in working to advance American democracy and perhaps change the course of history.
Welcome to SCNPolitics!