Today's Thoughts

​I am reading An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It chronicles a time when the U.S. was striving to improve society for future generations. Following the successful New Deal and World War II, during which America gave its all, it became necessary to look inward. Care for veterans and their families. Build the middle class. Support older people in their retirement years. Address the challenges of discrimination against Black people. These were the imperatives. The 1960s was a time of great hope that the newly elected President John F. Kennedy would propel the country forward.

Doris Goodwin and her husband, Dick, both worked in the West Wing. Doris served as President Lyndon Johnson’s Policy Advisor and later wrote Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream. Dick worked as a speechwriter for both John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Together, the couple explored America's moral compass. Dick labored tirelessly because he believed in his work. He wrote about his vision for the future, demonstrating a commitment to the ideals of the Constitution and the purpose of government. After serving Johnson, Doris concentrated on documenting his life. Many people aspired to work for the federal government in that era as it sought to address significant issues they believed in for America.
 
President Lyndon Johnson continued Kennedy's initiatives on health care for retirees, civil rights legislation, and similar efforts after Kennedy's assassination.  Dick left the administration following Kennedy’s death but returned to his position in the Johnson administration, acknowledging that his commitment was to America's goals rather than to the president. 

This idealistic Camelot world is a distant memory. Over the decades, some American leaders have shifted from providing a safety net for citizens to pursuing wealth and power for themselves. This reflects a different aim. However, most federal employees still believe in improving the government for everyone; they feel it’s their calling. They work in the Departments of Justice, Education, and Transportation, as well as the Social Security Administration and the Medicare/Medicaid agencies, to name a few. Indeed, opportunities for improvement will always exist within such a vast bureaucracy. The evolution of life and advancements in technology, engineering, medicine, and society necessitate change.

The current administration describes federal employees as the enemy - labeling them the Deep State. Is this shift due to a change in the nation’s moral compass? I’m intrigued by this administration’s thoughts as they dismantle federal departments, fire employees, and crush democracy. 
Just wondering.
 
Thanks for reading. Let me know what you're thinking about today in the comments.