We’re doomed. Doesn’t seem like it; we go to class with friends, watch Netflix with hot actors, party every once in a while (or every weekend), and maybe fancy ourselves with some Chipotle here and there. Life’s pretty great, and I’ll be honest — for the longest time I thought the most devastating part of it was not getting a good grade. Turns out, there’s far worse: our country is going to ruins.
I was sitting in class when my professor, Dr. Shawn M. Lynch, stated that he believed the United States would cease to exist in five years. When asked to elaborate on this idea he answered:
“I wrote an e-Book at the end of 2014, ‘A Modest Proposal for the Dissolution of the United States of America: How the Reagan Revolution Destroyed Us and How to Salvage What Remains.’ The damage that has been done to our economy and our democracy since Reagan has been so great, I don’t think the United States should continue on. Its economy and democracy have failed and everyone, regardless of their politics, has lost faith in a dysfunction system. I still believe the best way forward is the break the nation up into smaller regional Republics. So at this point, I’d work to accelerate the break-up, rather than trying to prevent it. I strongly believe break-up is inevitable and desirable. I don’t see the purpose of beating a dead horse. The United States failed; that’s unfortunate, but the rational thing to do is dispense with it.”
You may think he’s insane — as did I when I first met him. I even was a little angered at how he thought my home was going to be structurally torn into pieces. Though as he began to dissect our constitution, the economic problem, the power of the upper class, and the dynamics of social stratification while comparing it to current events, I realized he’s not insane. We are. We are insane for not realizing our society is undeniably fraudulent. Dr. Lynch teaches his students how to discern lies from truths in our system. Furthermore, he discloses the skills he hopes his students accumulate throughout the time of his course:
“Critical thinking, skepticism, self-confidence, fearlessness, a recognition of the lessons of history for the present day, and the understanding that most people around the world are exactly like us underneath, if not on the surface. I would hope they take to heart the clear historical lesson that violence is the refuge of tyrants and the weak. I hope they understand that courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it. By the time we say our goodbyes at the end of June in London, I hope they see that hatred is the product of fear, and there are people who profit by keeping us all afraid.”
So far, Dr. Lynch has been extremely successful with connecting with his students. One student, Sophie Odrich, in reference to his class stated, “His teaching makes me feel compelled to learn more about current events and become passionate about whatever I end up majoring in down the road.” Another student, Kate Thrane, who doesn’t even take his course expressed, “All my friends love Lynch so much, but I have yet to meet him. His classes sound so interesting and every day I look forward to hearing about the latest news from his class.” Dr. Lynch’s passion for the Social Sciences has spread beyond the classroom and while questioning where this passion stems from he responded:
“At the age of twelve, my grandfather gave me a book on World War II. I knew immediately I wanted to be a historian. What I came to realize is that history in and of itself is useless, unless it is applied to understanding the present day. In that way, I am more of a “present-ist” than a historian, because I only want to understand the world we live in. Luckily, studying history does explain the present. The passion comes from the urgency of the present national emergency, certainly; but also a love of teaching, discussion, and engagement. Spending time with college-age students keeps me connected to the world outside my head, which I would otherwise ignore. Debating ideas is just as vital to any society as the production of material goods. A society needs both, and being involved in that is one reason I count myself as among the happiest and luckiest people on the planet.”
There is much to be learned from Dr. Lynch. He has taught that we are doomed; that our parents and grandparents left us with an economic mess and national instability… but he has also taught that our society is repairable. We must stay updated, protest, write letters, and spread the news to friends. He advises to the student body/millennial generation, “You can build any kind of society you wish; you need only go out and do it. You cannot be stopped. The old systems have failed; they are degenerate and dysfunctional. You can sweep them aside and create something far better.”
So let’s do it. Let’s create something far better than an Instagram post or a mixed drink, and let’s go change the world.