All of America was on display this weekend. Peace deals were announced via social media by the president, Team USA dominated Paraguay in soccer, and the UFC hosted a blood-soaked battle on the White House lawn.
Something is happening. Policy and politics aside, the aesthetics of what has, and continues to, make America great is unrepentant. The authentic virtuoso of American patriotism has engulfed the world. The ultimate fascination of America, the chance to achieve what is possible, is fully liberated.
Variety attempted to throw stones at the UFC Whitehouse event, saying it “resembled a scene out of ‘Idiocracy,’” while one commentator over at the Wall Street Journal called it a “rare spectacle” before satirizing the “merging corporate interests on one of the most famous plots of public land with exclusive access for select VIPs.”
Despite the dizzying array of condemnations from the corporate press about the event (and melodramatic warnings of possible weather disruptions), what the world saw this weekend was all that makes America great.
In a deep-blue city, thousands descended onto the South Lawn for a Red America event. The Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds left the crowd in awe as they flew in formation over a crowd covered in the glow of red, white, and blue. Members of the military saluted as fighters were escorted down to the outdoor octagon by first responders and Medal of Honor recipients as live music was played by the United States Marine Band. And after each win, praise was given to God—and the Commander in Chief.
Sunday was the worst manifestation of every Bluesky comments section, a liberal-progressive’s nightmare rendered into physical reality.
Art and politics are intricately intertwined. The truly amazing thing about America is that our cultural memory can be distilled into the awe of human creativity, spirit, and engineering—the relentless imagination of American-ism that can be encapsulated in a simple tweet.
The UFC event is one thing; the foreign guests for the World Cup are another. People from across the globe have been unrelenting in their praise of staples of American cuisine like Waffle House, Wendy’s, and “animal-style” In-N-Out fries.
Much like an amusement park, America offers anything the world’s heart desires. It is mythos for those who seek limitless enchantment. “Most people have never seen anything like that kind of human speed and power before,” Trump gushed Monday morning. “The White House never looked more beautiful. The setting was unsurpassed!… One of the most exciting days in the history of our fabled White House!”
In its most simplified form, America offers freedom. But in its declaration of “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” is the intoxication of culture. Liberty’s torch offers a paradox of passions. It is perpetual motion inseparable from a grand display and patriotic performance. The pursuit never ends. The moment of happiness is never secured. The endless horizon can never be reached.
America is a fantasy land. It is streets lined with limitless options for consumer consumption of corporate cuisine. It is the president shaking hands with sweat-soaked modern gladiators who do battle in an outdoor arena, sponsored by Turning Point USA, Polymarket, Ram Trucks, and Bud Light.
America is a total cultural victory.
And it is through this aesthetic attitude that a new understanding of America emerges. Foreign tourists are making pilgrimages to chain restaurants and gas stations. The White House was transformed into an arena for modern gladiators. The performance crystalized what people imagine America to be; it was the idea of America, become reality.
The performance never ends because the dream itself can never be fulfilled. It can only be pursued. And for a nation built on pursuit, that has always been enough.