"I was born in 1985 in the best, greatest nation on Earth. But if I had been born 20 years later, even in the same place even in Cincinnati. I don't think my story would have been possible in the same way. I'd have been taught to be a victim. Rather than a victor, a winner in America, I'd have been taught to embrace grievance. Embrace the color of my skin more than the content of my contributions in the qualities that make me who I really am," Ramaswamy said.
And it is that idea that is part of his platform as a GOP Presidential candidate. He describes it as a national identity crisis.
"People my age, really any age today, are hungry for purpose and meaning at a moment when we've lost our sense of American identity. (We've) lost our sense of faith, patriotism, hard work, family. The things that used to ground our sense of identity. That's what I think we're missing," Ramaswamy said. "Though I am running for president, it's more of a cultural campaign to revive the heart soul and identity of this nation."
Ramaswamy says America has gotten away from being able to have open dialogues about tough issues and from being a meritocracy.
"The idea that you get ahead, not in the color of your skin, but in the content of your character and contributions. These are fundamentally American ideas. We have lost our commitment to those ideas. But I don't think that has to be permanent. I think we can rediscover that."
He says he is a conservative but doesn't like the political labels, calling them "artificial."
2 июн 2024
