The Democracy Papers: Paper Seven
Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who dreamed of a nation united by justice, equality and shared prosperity.
A House Divided Over Land, Wealth, and Opportunity
Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who dreamed of a nation united by justice, equality and shared prosperity. In his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, he painted a future where “the crooked places will be made straight” and where divisions of race, class and opportunity would no longer define us. But today, we remain ever haunted by the divisions he sought to overcome: those over land, wealth and the promise of opportunity.
Now imagine a United States without unity. Picture states fighting over resources, borders, and political power. That’s the dystopian reality we would face without a unifying federal government: a house divided against itself, teetering on the brink of collapse.
The Fight Over Resources
Even now, land and resources remain flashpoints for conflict. Hamilton warned us over 200 years ago that disputes over land claims and wealth could tear apart a fragile union. Today, we see it in battles over water rights in the West, disputes about oil drilling on Indigenous lands and fights over who controls access to renewable energy. In a divided nation, states treat each other as adversaries, vying for control while the needs of everyday people fall by the wayside.
Dr. King spoke of the “bank of justice” and how it was overdue to cash the checks of opportunity for all people. But when states compete unchecked, those resources become spoils of war. Wealth concentrates in the hands of fewer and fewer, while those King championed, working families and marginalized communities, are left behind. Without unity, there is no equity, and without equity, there is no justice.
Economic Rivalries and Inequity
Hamilton understood that economic competition could lead to conflict, and we see it today in the fevered race for corporate favoritism. States slash taxes for billionaires and corporations while defunding schools, health care and public safety. These rivalries don’t make us stronger, they weaken us and deepen the already abyssal divides Dr. King dreamed of bridging.
Economic justice and the “dignity of labor” were at the heart of King’s vision. He knew that when economic competition becomes a zero-sum game, the wealthy few benefit while working families shoulder the burden. That’s not freedom. That’s exploitation.
The Threat of Boundaries
The physical boundaries between states may seem settled, but the symbolic lines dividing us whether they are racial, economic or geographic are sharper than ever. Dr. King dreamed of tearing down these barriers, of a nation that judged people by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin or the state in which they were born.
Still, disunity threatens to cement those divisions. States pursuing conflicting policies on voting rights, education and public health create a patchwork of inequality, where a child’s opportunities depend more on their ZIP code than their potential. Without a federal government to ensure fairness and justice, these divides will only deepen—dragging us down to the depths with Cthulhu.
Unity as the Dream
“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality,” Dr. King reminded us. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Unity isn’t just a feel-good idea—it’s the invisible string that allows us to resolve disputes peacefully, share resources equitably and ensure opportunity for all. Without a strong federal government, the dream of equality becomes just that: a dream perpetually deferred.
The Work Ahead
To honor Dr. King’s legacy, we must reject the divisions that threaten to tear us apart. That means holding ourselves accountable to the ideals of equity, cooperation, and shared purpose. It means seeing the struggles of other states and communities as interconnected with our own. And it means ensuring that our government works not just for the powerful or privileged, but for all of us.
Today, as a new administration takes office, we face a tumultuous road. The scars of division are still raw, and the challenges ahead are daunting. But we owe it to ourselves, to the generations that came before us, and to the ones who will follow, to fight for the nation we want to build. A nation where unity isn’t just a hashtag, but a guiding principle. Where justice isn’t just for the few, but for all.
We must not bend the knee. We must not surrender. We must fight until we win or die.