Audacity of a Belief that Presidential Rule of Lincoln Is Upon Us

I owe a lot to the U.S. for making my story and for being who I am, standing on this day. I remember staring at emptiness when I came in January 2015 and the way it unfolded after nearly 9.5 years. A look back at this near decade tells a bulk portion has been contributed by U.S. It is unlike any other journey but a carefully woven fabric as a lot of factors fell in place leading me to live my every day. Every day is a navigation through many networks of paths each falling in place to give a day as it is. The past two years I have been staying in a state with tag name ‘Land of Lincoln’ - the President who have lived in this state and the greatest to have overlooked the state of affairs in this nation even till date. After nearly 160 years, there is no equivalent to him in the modern-day nation which still cherishes his memory. The greatness lies in the fact that he oversaw a nation which would progress gradually for the next one and half century in the right path. This nation needs his compass and direction in this critical time to forge the path ahead for another one and half century. In other words, a lot of time has passed, and this nation needs another equivalent of Lincoln as President overlooking the challenges and steering through the complex problems of the times. After living my little over 2 years in the ‘Land of Lincoln’, here are my deepest wishes to herald a rule of another Lincoln which is missing in this nation very dearly. 

Heralding a rule of a Lincoln is a twofold process – 1. Men should be born, made and built who are of such leadership caliber in all dimensions and those men should take charge 2. The modern-day environment should revolve around him to foster such a rule. Even if not creating conditions like 1860’s, the present environment should catapult a person of those intrinsic qualities to the top and herald his modern-day equivalent rule. The first point is the make of a person and second is the conditions around him. When great men rise in great environments, it will herald a golden rule for the future multi-century navigation of the country. It should be our collective belief that such tall leaders are born, re-born to take the country forward. It should be our collective belief that a person who can eclipse Lincoln in his service to the nation is born in our times. It should be our collective belief that every Presidents rule is ‘Lincolnesque’ in dealing with problems and challenges of the times. Finally, it should be our collective belief that we are living in the times of similar great Presidency. 

Regarding the present-day Presidential rule, we can compare the sensible rule of today with the great period of yesteryear. If civil war is a major upheaval of those times, the fallout from the covid pandemic which claimed twice as many lives in U.S. is a bigger turbulence to deal with. The country came out with flying colors by virtue of this Presidency after getting struck heavily by the pandemic and after being in great distress. No other country has been course corrected so heavily after being in a big slump due to the pandemic. It would have been practically next to impossible to navigate through the pandemic and rebound sharply in very little time from the heavy scars inflicted in losing people, jobs and economy. It has been made possible by a period of great Presidential rule from a person who has been made for the occasion all through his life. The numbers don’t lie, and the numbers will not mask the underlying picture of the mood of the people, and we cannot ignore what is currently going around in the nation without giving a true picture. 

For instance, I am benefitted from the creation of a job in U.S., benefitted from a paycheck in U.S. for over two years, benefitted with a buoyant economy after a major slump. The same are reflected at the larger level where the nation added 15 million jobs so far, the highest in any four-year presidential terms to date. The number is now nearly 5 million higher than before the pandemic. The unemployment rate dropped back to above the pre-pandemic low; unfilled job openings again outnumber unemployed job seekers. Defying expectations, the nation’s economy expanded 2.5% in 2023, marking the third straight year of economic growth, highest among all developed nations. The unemployment rate has remained below 4% for a record 26 months straight. Millions of Americans are added to those who know the dignity and peace of mind that comes with a paycheck. These are the numbers which don’t lie and tell us a real picture of an unrivaled four-year Presidential term in the history of the nation. Don’t we get the audacity to compare with the Lincoln's rule over the land for all the things which would have never happened under normal circumstances. This rule is more in the feel, more in the spirit which translated to a more in the statistics. 

With this audacity to think big and compare big, let us look at some elements to draw parallels. This is a comparison with the best rule and the present rule as I said our Presidential terms should be believed to be auguring extremely good for the nation. Comparing the presidencies of Biden and Lincoln involves considering different historical contexts, policies, and challenges. Here are some points of comparison: 

Historical Context: Lincoln served during the Civil War, a time of profound national division and conflict. Biden’s presidency, while not during a civil war, also began during a period of significant political polarization and after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Leadership Style: Lincoln is known for his leadership during the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, which led to the abolition of slavery. Biden’s leadership has focused on addressing contemporary issues such as climate change, healthcare, and international relations. 

Crisis Management: Both presidents faced national crises upon taking office. Lincoln dealt with the secession of Southern states, while Biden inherited a nation grappling with the pandemic and its economic fallout. 

Legislation and Policy: Lincoln’s tenure is marked by the passage of the Homestead Act and the establishment of the National Banking System. Biden’s administration has worked on the American Rescue Plan and infrastructure investment to rebuild the economy. 

It’s important to note that while both presidents faced unique challenges and operated under vastly different circumstances, they shared the common goal of leading the nation through tumultuous times. The comparison is more about the spirit of their leadership and the impact of their policies rather than a direct policy-to-policy comparison, as the eras they governed were vastly different. 

There are many people who think the periods are similar. There are many people who inherently believe a civil war is upon us. Some sections of the people have believed for long and also made a movie on it. “Civil War” is a 2024 dystopian or imaginary war film set in a future America engulfed in a war between an authoritarian government and various regional factions. The film was released on April 12 and minted as big as 66 million dollars worldwide drawing audience into its ideology. When you have the option to believe in the best, these people believed in negative, worst terms. Make no mistake, we should all believe a civil war is never going to rise its ugly head again in the U.S. We should all aspire for a soft, bloodless revolution which is presently underway than dealing with violence. We are currently seeing a soft, under-the-carpet revolution in the country which should be better than needing us to believe in a ‘Lincolnesque’ civil war. This movie should be a movie and should be for purely entertainment rather than making any representation in society. We are drawn to negativity and accept such content but there should not be any space for it in real life. 

We will close by making another great comparison. This is about the sustainability of Lincoln’s Presidential term and equate to the present term. The actions which stemmed out of 1860’s have put America in great path for as many as 160 years. The present day’s actions of 2020’s should also put the nation in a great path for the next 160 years or more, giving hope for 3030, 4040 and so on. This is the most important challenge where a previous era’s equivalent treatment should be given to the present-day nation.  

No one person or a handful of people are bigger than a nation in good standing. If you remove that person or a group of people, you can see the nation sailing along great waters which is the present state of the country. It is a nation of the people, by the people and for the people and not of the person, by the person and for the person.