Readings for Simon's Webinar/Presentation, "On Patriotism and Optimism - Not Pessimism"

We've developed a big picture webinar/presentation on patriotism, optimism and America. It is designed to be a rebuttal to President Trump's poisonous pessimism, and his false argument that this great country is in decline. We will be showing it weekly through this summer as it moves from beta to formal release this fall.

To learn more, see the schedule for future showings and to register go here. It will be worth your time – we promise! Below we've put together some of our work over the years that will provide more context and background for the presentation. We hope you find them helpful.

Patriotism and Optimism, Not Pessimism – Thoughts on the Future of America's Center-Left (Preview Slides), Simon Rosenberg and Chris Murphy, NDN.org, 3/13/18. Here are key slides from deck which demonstrate through various economic and societal data that America is not in decline and in fact doing as well as it has in any point in our history.

The Case for Optimism: Rejecting Trump's Poisonous Pessimism, Simon Rosenberg, Medium, 6/2/17. In an essay that originally was published on Medium, Simon argues that the great rationale of Trump's Presidency - that America is in decline - simply isn't true, and must be challenged more forcefully.  This is the piece that spurred the creation of the presentation. 

Trump's Iran deal withdrawal is an arrogant rejection of the post-war system America built, Simon Rosenberg, NBC News THINK, 5/10/18. Simon discusses how Trump is dangerously undermining the global order America imagined and built.

Rebutting Trump's Ridiculous Attacks on "Chuck and Nancy", Simon Rosenberg, Medium, 11/28/17. Contrary to the President's absurdly false claims, under President Obama crime rates and the flow of undocumented immigrants into US plummeted. The economy also grew, incomes rose, the stock market soared and the annual deficit dropped.

In A New Global Age, Democrats Have Been Far Better for the US Economy, Deficits, and Incomes, Simon Rosenberg and Chris Murphy, NDN.org, 2/27/17. In a new memo NDN finds that over the past generation of American politics Democrats have been far better for the economy, deficits and incomes.  Some of the most important graphs of the presentation come this from this study. 

Chin Up, Democrats, Simon Rosenberg, US News and World Report, 1/20/17. In his column Simon argues that Democrats should have pride in their historic accomplishments and optimism about the future of their politics. This one is very relevant to the presentation itself. 

Rediscovering the Democrats' North Star, Simon Rosenberg, US News & World Report, 12/9/16. In his column Simon offers some thoughts on the path forward.