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There have always been many symbols of American culture - homemade apple pie, a waving American flag, the ideas of freedom and equality , etc. Each is a nice representation or symbol, but the fact is that none of these, or any similar, are truly representative of all Americans. So, coming to a question that has increasingly been broached in many of my classes recently - is there a unifying thread in America? Is there some idea, some theory, some belief, that truly means something to all of us, the whole of America?

There may be one thing:

COMPETITION.

We all have different motivations, different values and morals, and unique, individual lifestyles. However, we all compete at some point, and probably most points, in our lives. Competition is a huge driving force in American culture, whether it be a child's stick ball game in the street, the desire for a promotion, or even a Presidential Election. We have a constant obsession with who is more skilled, more qualified, more talented, more able. And this idea brings me to the main theme of this blog.

There are two major forums of competition in American culture - politics and sports (the economy could be considered as well, but in today's age, it seems that all economies are tied together into one global unit rather than remaining individual to each nation). Politics and sports are truly two major parts of American life - our political structure has always been an identifying factor for our nation, and sports is one of our greatest leisure activities, whether it be participation or observation. Politics forces competition between political parties and differing ideologies in an effort to garner votes to win important positions, while sports figures compete in order to make the most money and win the most championships.

Of course, there are many actions in both politics and sports that do not directly relate to competition. A bipartisan bill in a non-election year, for example, might be seen as similar to the Yankees giving Alex Rodriguez the day off during a June game against the Royals - it's OK to allow pleasantries at non-crucial moments, but just wait until crunch time. So, obviously, "non-competitive" events such as these will be covered in this blog as well.

Politics and sports do share the unifying concept of competition, which makes the prospect of tying them together in a blog rather feasible. They truly are a major part of American life, but also of my own, which is another reason I have chosen these topics to share my thoughts about. I don't intend to lecture in this blog, but simply to share my thoughts in a conversational and hopefully entertaining manner and maybe to inspire others to think about some things differently.

Please - PROVIDE FEEDBACK! Leave comments, check back often, and let me know your own opinions. Thanks for checking in - I hope you'll come back soon and often.