Thread by @RayDalio

The question that Americans have to answer is: are the principles that bind us together greater or weaker than the principles that are tearing us apart? (1/11)

Before we collectively, as a country, can decide what to do, we must try to reach an agreement on what we want most and how we should deal with each other to get it. In other words, we must see if we can agree on our most fundamental principles. (2/11)

To be a truly united United States we must reaffirm our vows on the biggest shared principles and, in pursuit of them, reaffirm our protocols for thoughtful disagreement through a process that the overwhelming majority of Americans agree with. (3/11)

There’s more to this than saying we agree to abide by the Constitution. (4/11)

It requires exploring the principles and values that were behind the Constitution that our founding fathers wrote exploring our own principles and values and then seeing how well the Constitution reflects those and, if it doesn’t reflect them well, amend it so. (5/11)

But before we do all of that, we have to start with exploring our principles to see if we are compatible. (6/11)

The most important choice the new president has is whether he will be the leader of those who voted for him in their battle against the opposition or be a leader of the vast majority of people, including those who did not. (7/11)

Will he understand and pursue the principles of the overwhelming majority of Americans? Does he know what principles Americans agree on and which ones tear them apart and will he work to find those things out and bring them together or will he just ride the blue wave? (8/11)

I believe that the president or at least some great national polling service should ask the key questions in surveys and discussions, looking forthrightly at the seemingly irreconcilable differences and trying to agree on how to reconcile them. (9/11)

He and we need to be able to state clearly what they are and explain how our system will work, operating consistently with these principles to get us the country we want. That is what our founding fathers did and what all great leaders do. (10/11)

What the country needs now, more than anything else, is that sort of agreement to inspire us to get behind it. (11/11)