Comedian Michael Ian Black has expressed the possibility of leaving the United States, regardless of whether former President Donald Trump wins or loses the 2024 election.
“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country,” John F. Kennedy once said. It might be one of the most iconic phrases uttered by an American president, but according to Michael Ian Black, the line is “total BS.”
“The fact is, most of us are here by happenstance. We found ourselves pushed into a world neither of our making nor our choosing. The fact that we find ourselves in this particular nation at this particular time is no more than luck of the draw. So why do I owe a single, solitary thing to this landmass on which I find myself?” the comedian writes in an op-ed for the Daily Beast.
“Yes, I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in my life. But I can’t honestly say they were given to me by ‘America’ any more than I can say the macaroni and cheese I made for lunch was given to me by Kraft. I paid for that mac and cheese and I have paid for America,” he writes. “And America continues to let me down.”
After reviewing a list of responsibilities he believes America has neglected — including safety, healthcare, education, and infrastructure — Michael Ian Black reflects on America’s struggle to forge a unified identity since the Cold War. He expresses concern that the nation is gradually departing from its cherished values, characterizing it as a “war machine sponsored by Ronald McDonald.”
“The values we claim to support: democracy, freedom, equality. Those same values we bomb other countries into accepting aren’t even being practiced at home. We’re neither the freest, most democratic, nor most equal nation,” he claims. “Not even close.”
To his credit, Michael Ian Black sets himself apart from other liberals who have previously vowed to leave America, suggesting they spoke from a place of privilege. He even scolds those who advocate for such causes before attending swanky events like the Met Gala. In the end, he hinges his impending exodus not on political candidates (he acknowledges a deeper problem) but on whether or not America can actually improve.
“Increasingly, I’m not sure it matters who wins in November. Can any person reorient this hobbling and sclerotic nation in four years? In eight? What can be done to reinvigorate/redefine our national identity? Must we have another goddamned world war for Americans to find purpose?” he asks.
He concludes the op-ed by harking back to Kennedy and straightforwardly poses the question: “What can my country do for me?”
Share your thoughts by scrolling down to leave a comment.
