Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Revisiting 10 highlights (and a few lowlights) from 2022

Dec 19, 2022

As we near the end of 2022 and I prepare for a little break (now until Jan. 2), it feels like the right time to look back at some of the most engaged posts that I’ve written for America, America this year, as well as some additional ones that were maybe less widely read but are among my favorites. They do not fully encompass the year’s wild ride, but they do highlight some of the curious turns, cruel and questionable choices, and inspired thinking that touched (and triggered) the body politic.

Let’s get Donald J. Trump out of the way first, shall we? There are two pieces of particular note, both of which were based on his verbatim rantings and written in a kind of narrative stream-of-consciousness style.

Grievance, Persecution and the Endless Excuse from August 15

Poor Donald. It’s the deep state. It’s Antifa. It’s racist prosecutors. It’s Robert Mueller. It’s a witch hunt, a hoax, fake news. It’s Democrats and RINOs and now the FBI. It’s always someone else’s fault, always unfair, always rigged. The call was perfect. The document was planted. The election was stolen.

American Carnage, Enemies Everywhere from September 5

He urged the execution of the Central Park Five back in 1989, even took out a full-page ad in The New York Times to make his point, then said nothing when it was found that the five Black and Latino men were wrongly convicted. He called Mexicans criminals and rapists after descending his golden escalator from his golden apartment, again telling everyone exactly who he is and who was going to get it if he won the presidency.

And then there was the arrival last month of special counsel Jack Smith to investigate Trump’s criminality, leaving us to wonder whether he will act as expeditiously and fearlessly as promised to help put a period on this dark chapter in America’s history.

Jack Smith Takes Over from November 21

So Merrick Garland punted the indictment question to a special counsel on Friday, insulating himself from cries that he is acting for political reasons in two ongoing investigations: the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and the taking of classified documents and other presidential records to Mar-a-Lago. He appointed Jack Smith, a veteran prosecutor of political corruption and international war crimes cases.

Whatever our doubts may be about Merrick Garland and the Justice Department, they are a far cry from the downward spiral of the Supreme Court and the continuing struggle to find justice there in the wake of the overturning Roe v. Wade and more.

Liars for a Lifetime from May 6

I don’t like liars. I don’t like them when they’re elected to political office. And I surely don’t like them when they lie to land a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court.

To my surprise, a post focused on President Biden’s top 10 achievements not only was widely read by America, America readers, it was read and shared by the president’s Chief of Staff, Ron Klain. One reason, I suspect: Biden had been bombarded with negative feedback and this offered a different take on the state of things.

Joe Biden’s Achievements from August 8

I have been reflecting in recent weeks both on how much has been achieved in these first two years and how conflicted so many people have come to feel about his presidency—and I don’t just mean intransigent, Trump-fueled Republicans who never were going to give him a chance anyway…But today is my chance to praise him—to express gratitude for what has been accomplished…

And I have to say that I’m grateful that my decision to focus on the positive and what’s possible and to push back against the fears so many were having just before the midterms had such an encouraging affect.

No, I’m Not from October 28

Comments by new colleagues here [in Germany]—making clear their (understandable) disbelief in how fragile and perilous the state of American democracy appears to be—has gotten me to think about what I believe, what I value and what I refuse to just let happen. What follows is a baker’s dozen “No, I’m not” assertions.

While I’ve appreciated the enthusiastic participation in our Saturday discussions—on political issues of the day, more philosophical life reflections and lighter questions like streets you love to walk on—I was particularly intrigued by the deeply felt thoughts about moving elsewhere. That was true about moving somewhere inside America, but even more about the idea that the time would come when leaving the country could be necessary.

Where Else Would You Live? from October 29
Where in America Would You Move? from July 23

And finally, as I look ahead to a little fresh travel of my own and a couple of weeks to recharge my batteries for the year ahead, I hope you might enjoy reading or re-reading two postcards—complete with photos—from the summer. It started with Paris and included Helsinki, just at the time when the Finns made the decision to join NATO.

Helsinki Postcard on June 10

This postcard is not all about military realities and questions about the Russians and their intentions. Allow me to share with you some of what the nature-loving Finns are not just willing to defend, but understandably relish.

Paris Snapshot on June 5

I wanted to share a few moments during my travels these weeks. First stop Paris…I took every minute I could to “be there,” to savor the eclectic mix of people-watching and daily visits to the boulangerie for a croissant and café au lait.

May your holidays be uplifting, refreshing and peaceful. The past year has been awfully turbulent—riddled with reasons to worry about the survival of democracy, elected Republicans exploiting their positions to make life more painful and members of the highest court mis-using their power to strip away rights. One meaningful antidote has been the great engagement of readers here and a democratic majority seeking a more productive, more progressive future. In the year ahead, I look forward to the continuing expansion and involvement of this community to advocate for democracy and a better America.

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