Remember George Washington

Today is George Washington’s birthday— February 22

But you’d never know it.

There are no speeches about him that I’m aware of today. At least none advertised. No fireworks. I don’t think I’ve heard a single word of remembrance on TV or radio or YouTube. George’s birthday used to be a national holiday. As it should be.

But no more.

Well, actually, to complicate things, Washington’s birthday is now celebrated as a nondescript boilerplate holiday called President’s Day— which falls on the third Monday of February every year. That’s been the case since 1971.

That’s because of a mellifluous piece of statecraft called the Uniform Monday Holiday Act designed to make it easier on government employees.

You see, and pay attention here, we don’t call it Washington’s birthday and we don’t celebrate him on his actual birthday. Technically, President’s Day exists to honor President Washington. Sort of. (which I guess means that we are not honoring Washington the soldier or man. Just his presidency). Except that it’s not even legally called President’s Day. We just call it President’s Day to give it a patina of respect. No one honors Washington on it.

All this is because the lions of Congress want to pretend like they are still honoring Washington by bundling respect for all presidents into one big bogus holiday while at the same time really removing Lincoln’s birthday (February 12) from our list of national vacation days. Congress felt that government employees ought to enjoy three consecutive days off without suffering those pesky midweek workless days by having to actually honor or remember someone or something.

So today, President’s Day neither recognizes Washington nor Lincoln—nor any other American by name. The purpose of President’s Day, I guess, offers government functionaries at the Department of Transportation, an opportunity to reflect with reverence on the contributions to liberty made by great Presidents like James Buchanan, Franklin Pierce, Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes and Jimmy Carter. The pablum of President’s Day exists in order to buy the vote of postal workers and folks in cubicles at the Department of Motor Vehicles. God knows that the rest of us working stiffs don’t get the day off.

Now if you feel my contempt for this betrayal of historical memory, you are admirably attentive.

So let me put it plain.

Without George Washington there is no America.

Without America, slavery probably would still exist in some form in the world.

Without America, monarchy would probably have triumphed in the First World War.

Without America, there would have been no effective resistance to Soviet Aggression during the Cold War. International Communism might well have emerged victorious over Europe and the world.

Without America, Hitler might have won.

You see, the Great Republic (that’s the USA for those who are not baby boomers) has been the bulwark of human freedom and advancement for almost 150 years now.

Europe is free because of America.

Eastern Europe is free because of America.

Australia was not ingested into the Japan Empire, because of America.

South Korea is a democratic economic powerhouse, because of America.

Germany and Japan and Italy are democracies because of America.

The Wall came down because of America.

The Soviet Union collapsed because of America.

When I say that almost every democracy on the planet can trace its survival or existence in one way or another back to the United States of America, I do not stretch the truth.

Freedom is a gift to the world largely from this country.

And all of these astonishing achievements are the direct descendants of one man: George Washington.

The world of 1776 was a world of princes and class privilege, empires, slavery and poverty.

The triumph of the America Revolution changed all that.

Everything you associate with modernity is essentially an America innovation, the use of electricity, the telephone, television, automobiles, aviation, atomic energy, space travel, computers, the internet, the cell phone—all largely American. A world without a big war anywhere. A world of international trade and freedom of the seas. A world that is unleashing the boundless imagination and energy of ordinary people whose simple and beautiful foundation is that anchored in the American Revolution, “all men are created equal.”

That idea associated with Jefferson, had no traction without George Washington. Washington is the man who turned the words into reality. He literally turned the world upside down.

And that idea was like splitting the atom.

When Washington led his miserable cold column of patriots across the Delaware River on that horrible morning in December 1776, no government on earth believed the idea that “all men are created equal.” Not one. Anywhere.

Just this one.

And that idea will transform the planet. No civilized human being anywhere on earth disagrees with it. But when Washington fought for it, no one did. He didn’t just win the American Revolution. He set into motion an idea that has transformed the planet.

It was Washington who kept an army in the field by little more than the power of his character. He kept up the impossible fight even when almost everyone else despaired of any hope.

He paid troops out of his own pocket.

He remained in the field with his army for over 7 years, from 1775 to 1783, longer than any commanding general in American history.

When the victory was finally consummated with the Signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the world expected Washington to seize power. Why not? That had been the recurring theme of history. Successful generals as a matter of course became dictators: Alexander, Caesar, Cromwell, Bonaparte and in our own time: Mao, Kim il Sung, Tito, Castro, Franco. It’s the same tyrannical instinct, as old as the world. All were soldiers. All had standing armies and stature to seize power.

In 1783 there was a disturbing fear in the states. George III, King of England, said, “If [Washington] surrenders his commission he will be the greatest man in the world.”

And came the day, December 23, 1783. Word had arrived in America from Paris that the British had finally acknowledged American Independence. Washington and his army of 10,000 men had remain faithfully encamped in Newburgh, New York, unappreciated, hungry, unrewarded, awaiting the real possibility of resumed hostility.

And now, finally, the war was over.

There was growing restlessness amongst the troops. They had defeated Britain. They had remained loyal for seven long winters in the field. And yet they had not been paid.

It was a grotesque breach of faith by the new democratic government.

There had been a sort of coup put down by Washington himself. The army was not happy. The Confederation Congress had no power to tax. The American government was clearly weak and insolvent. And now, report was that General Washington, the most respect man in America, was riding under armed escort toward Annapolis, the temporary seat of the government of the United States. All in the Confederation Congress respected Washington. His character was unchallengeable.

But then what if?

The British Parliament had respected Cromwell. Caesar was admired by the Roman Senate.

Washington entered the state house to a breathless body of politicians. Thomas Mifflin, President of Congress, arose and stood with anxious respect. “Having now finished the work assigned me,” said Washington, “I retire from the great theatre of Action; and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.”

And with that Washington surrendered his sword and his commission. He returned to Mount Vernon.

He was the greatest man in the world.

And that is only part of his legacy.

He will later preside as President of the Constitutional Convention, over the creation of the highest law of the land, the first written constitution to govern a people. The first constitution of a free republic of, for and by the people.

Today ours is the oldest written constitution in the world. Every country today on earth, except five, have written constitutions. They are the progeny of George Washington.

Washington became our first president. Easily he could have been President for Life. The American people were willing to re-elect their hero unopposed until he died. But Washington could see further than the blinding euphoria of the people. He chose to establish an important precedent by refusing to run a third time. Had he chosen to remain in office, there would have evolved in this country a political assumption that Presidents serve for life.

There are few human beings who have effected so much good to so many people in a single life time.

And all that good came from Character. He emancipated his slaves.

George Washington. Father of our country.

Even if your next door neighbor and the pandering clowns in Congress have forgotten him. You don’t have to.

Remember George Washington.

He was the Indispensable man.