250th birthday to the nation that dared to dream of a better life. 250 years since that moment that changed the world for the better. 250 years of the nation that created the highest standards of freedom of speech that opened the way for democratic discourse and the rebirth of the concept of government for the people, by the people.

For most of recorded history, mankind was almost always ruled, almost never represented - and it was America that proved that there was a better way in a time when absolute authority in the hands of unelected rulers was the global norm. What once was 'a hopeless colony', through the years, became the bright beacon of freedom that all of mankind, regardless of ethnicity or personal wealth could strive for. The US constitution remains the absolute gold standard for ensuring personal freedoms, rights and the pursuit of happiness for anyone who works those specific protections into their own laws.

The Founding Fathers deserve Nobel Peace prizes.

When I was little, I had this old catalog of American tech products. Now, little me back in the day didn't quite know how to read english so good, but the numbers and a few words I was able to translate using a dictionary gave me an idea of what life and society was like. I would spend hours in the old library just reading through catalogs and menus. I had no way of affording things like the Commodore 64, the Atari 2600 and more, but the images and the descriptions let me dream of a great technological civilization.

Reality ended up being better than those imaginations.

The longest friendships I had on the internet were Americans. They were kind and didn't see my stilted english as something to laugh about. We worked together on so many silly projects and had random fun. The years turned into decades as we helped one another through school and then work and that friendship stayed strong. I still keep in touch with them as they grew up and had families on their own. They were all human beings, who led the best lives they could, and in some ways, the truth was even greater than the legend.

I've also had the opportunity to travel to America in the last couple of years on business, and I was amazed by the hospitality of our hosts. Their attention to ensuring a safe journey, smooth business transactions and backing it by the most delicious meals I had eaten in living memory was what cemented my love for the American way of life. It is these people who represent the apex of the American way of life, and I would like to visit America as a tourist someday.

Things may be dark now, bad enough that the Rushmore Four should rise from their graves and bitchslap every crooked senator and representative taking dirty money and facebook lobbying cash to push fourth-amendment breaking laws in the name of 'safety'. In these dire times, I am reminded of this quote from the esteemed Benjamin Franklin.

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

You know what would be great? The Rushmore Four then makes an encore hit and dropkicks every dirtbag politician growing fat and limpid by stealing taxpayer money in corruption cases so vast in scope they feel like straight out of a spy thriller set in soviet-era eastern europe. American taxpayer money and American prosperity belongs to the American people, not to unelected bureaucrats who want another gold-plated private plane.

But ah, I can dream of a better future for the great nation that blessed the world with so many gifts. I've seen them at their best, and I want them to have the best.

I'll be attending the 4th of July BBQ now, so I'll be on my way. Their burgers were delicious last time I went there, and I have great hope that the party will be as fun as it was last time, perhaps better. Maybe things will work out even better, too.

To the Founding Fathers, and to every American that upheld that dream throughout the last 250 years, to all my American friends, happy 250th birthday and a happy Independence Day!

PS: I hope the GRANITE Act passes into law. It's a step in the right direction for sure.