There are many well regarded historians who believe George Washington’s voluntary retirement to be the literal most important decision in American history. Fans of the Crimson Tide might beg to differ, ranking Nick Saban’s exit above any and all events that preceded it.
It’s not difficult to explain why Washington’s choice was massively important, though. Without Washington’s resignation as commander-in-chief and retreat to life as a private citizen, we are ruled, indefinitely, by unaccountable kings, decaying into error, one after the other. The choice by Washington to surrender his army back to the government, to give up power, was a shocking one at the time. It’s been celebrated through the ages, but perhaps not enough. We haven’t really made a cultural virtue of exiting when you could still plausibly rule, of clearing a path for future generations rather than decline as an obstacle. And we should. We should celebrate it as much as we can when it happens.
Read Full Article »
