9 to 5
w.312 | Happy Birthday America, Freedom, Dolly Parton, and Pakistan
Dear Friends,
I’ve spent a lot of time abroad, having visited over 85 countries, including years living in Nigeria, the UK, and Pakistan. Only by leaving do you fully know where you are from.
In my twenties, I worked with the Pakistan government on education reform. The ministry was staffed entirely by men. I didn’t think much of that at the time and went about the work of data analysis and system change.
As the months went on, my new colleagues inevitably had personal questions for the young American woman: “Why aren’t you married? Where is your family?”
My reply: “In America, I take care of me. You take care of you. Everyone is taken care of. And it all works out.”
They thought I was hilarious, but remained concerned about my prospects. Soon the social invites rolled in: “My sister/wife/daughter/mother would love to meet you. Will you come for dinner?”
Pakistan is a relatively new country. Formed in 1947 at Partition and declared an Islamic Republic in 1956. The name translates from Urdu as “land of the pure.” It’s a magnificent country, and I left with many friends and fond memories; I was more than once declared an honorary Lahori. But Pakistan is not and never could be my home. It was founded as an inherited identity: you belong by blood and by faith.
America was founded on an idea, radical at the time, that individual liberty and personal freedom could organize a nation and that all people are created equal. That idea became real only 250 years ago; people fought for it, and their descendants and those inspired by the mission have never stopped fighting.
I’m proud to be a direct descendant of George Bacon Sr. (1757–1834). As stated in his obituary, he repeatedly professed that he participated in the Boston Tea Party, dressed as an Indian, just months shy of his 17th birthday. A few years later, he served as a mariner and later as one of George Washington’s “Commander-in-Chief’s Guard.” During his service, he was wounded several times, once from a rifle shot to his elbow, which would be the cause of lifelong stiffness in his joint. For his service, he was pensioned at something over ninety dollars a year.
Nobody in America has to answer “Who is your father? What does he do? Where was he born?” to build a life or a fortune here. What I inherited is the will to be a little daring, a little different, and completely committed to the mission.
The mission has worked. America has been a massive success since its founding. We lead the world in technology, culture, and wealth. We have welcomed the brightest minds to our universities and research centers to study, produce, and create. The entrepreneurial-minded have built fortunes on nothing but an idea and the gumption to execute it.
At a 4th of July BBQ on Friday, a new friend expressed his concern: that we’ve become complacent. Too many people assume America is simply great at everything and always will be.
I told him I worry about the opposite. That too many Americans are no longer proud of this country, and no longer believe that “there is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.” (Bill Clinton ‘93).
I get why people have turned cynical. It can feel impossible to get ahead without getting lucky.
9 to 5 is a song by Dolly Parton from a movie about three women who solve workplace injustice by kidnapping their boss. Quintessential American optimism: hard work, gumption to improve your station, and sometimes an act of defiance. Defiance is core to the American psyche; it’s how the tea got into the harbor. Dolly Parton is a successful entrepreneur and an American Dream success story. The most liked comment under the video is “Dolly Parton could write the communist manifesto, but Karl Marx couldn’t write 9 to 5.”
We celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution on the eve of the AI Revolution, with increasing concerns about job security and inflation. AI will demand a reconstitution of what we mean by, and how one achieves, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The notion of a “permanent underclass” must not be allowed to become reality.
Freedom and personal responsibility for your situation go together; they are the core of the American tradition. But the deal only holds if the deck isn’t impossibly stacked against you. Keeping the deal and the ideals of America alive is a fight that will never end.
I welcome those from around the world who want to come to America to share our values and build the future. I watched this weekend as the Aalo team (CEO born in Canada, CTO born in Bangladesh) celebrated their big milestone at 1 am on July 4th. More of this. And, in the legacy of George Bacon Sr. and countless others, I’m happy to do my small part.
Thanks for reading, friends. Please always be in touch.
As always,
Katelyn