As I scribble this, the U.S. leads its nearest competitor China in the Olympic medal race with 94 total to 65. It is important to note China's population is 4 times larger than ours.
It's fun to make fun of France but there are two truths to remember. First, if it weren't for France, we'd be a bunch of colonies sending our coppers to King Charles. Second, France is not going to throw a world party half-way.
Of course they insulted backward terminally aggrieved followers of no one resembling Jesus with a typically over ripe homage to mythical good times to get the party started. When the world is at your door, open the wine. It's France, that's what they do.
If these wackadoodles who fall for the latest deep meme from Putin's troll farm could relax with a glass of wine and baguette, they might realize the pomp and circumstance is a technicolor world-wide display of the American exceptionalism they claim is long gone.
Seems like these pretend patriots would love that.
The U.S. has 1/3 more medals than its nearest competitor. It leads everyone in gold ones, in silver ones, in bronze ones. Wouldn't you think that's exceptional? I do. Why be great again when we're great now.
I cannot deny I've watched as much or more Olympics this year than I have since I was a teenager. Olympic coverage has come a long way since I stayed up all night watching the winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan for two weeks as a kid. It was one channel only back then. Today it's on broadcast, on cable, and streaming online.
I've seen incredible competition and performances among athletes from around the world. The individual journeys inspire me and to be clear, this is a time I can use that inspiration. Humans doing incredible things physically always works for me.
But there's another truth that the summer Olympics always reminds me of. One look at the U.S. team should spell it out. It's what really makes us great, even when we slip up. The strength of this country is, was, and always will be in its diversity.
Every skin color and every religion are in the picture. Every region of our country, country and city. Some young, some older. Ancestry from every continent on earth. Straight, queer and indifferent.
That's the United States.
We are a nation of immigrants from all over the world of every color and every religion and creed. We're not perfect, but there is no other country on the planet that can compare. The societies here were diverse when Europeans showed up, the Europeans societies who came were diverse, and the addition of African cultures by force and later eastern cultures created even more diversity.
There is no denying the commitment to the very idea of the United States each athlete who wears red, white and blue share. Whether they're NBA millionaires or grad-students scraping by on tuna and dreams, they've proven to be proud Americans, honored to represent their nation.
If that doesn't inspire the pretend patriot crowd to stand up and celebrate their country, I'm not sure anything will.