Unfuck America: A Respectful, Open-Minded Conversation

Unfuck America

A Respectful, Open-Minded Conversation

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Mike Ritland

copyright © 2021 mike ritland

All rights reserved.

unfuck america

A Respectful, Open-Minded Conversation

isbn

978-1-5445-2486-3 Hardcover

isbn

978-1-5445-2488-7 Paperback

isbn

978-1-5445-2487-0 Ebook

I would like to dedicate this book to…YOU. Yes, you. If you’re picking this up, it means you give enough of a shit about this great nation to make it better.

It’s also dedicated to all the guests I’ve had on the Mike Drop Podcast. If not for them, my take and perspective on the issues inside this book would not be as well-rounded and informed.

Contents

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Introduction

1. America, the Rich, Spoiled Brat

2. How'd We Get So Fucked Anyway?

3. Escaping the Echo Chamber

4. Who the Hell Raised These Kids?

5. Jay-Z Isn't Jesus

6. Shut Up, Karen

7. Our Borders

8. America's Inequalities

9. Guns

10. Human Trafficking

11. Social Issues

12. The Economy

13. Foreign Policy

14. You

Notes

Introduction

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What you hold in your hand isn’t just a book. I mean, it is a book; it has pages and binding and a table of contents that lists the topics that will be discussed, which you probably skipped over to get to this part. But this isn’t just a book. The way I see it, this is the beginning of a conversation—one that you and I both know we need to have.

You don’t need me to tell you that a lot is going on in our world right now. Some of it is good. But a large portion of what’s happening in our nation is, quite frankly, a shit show. You and I find ourselves living and breathing at a very important and pivotal time in human history. We’ve come a long way as a species and what we’ve accomplished over the past several hundred years is nothing short of remarkable. As a nation, the United States has been at the forefront of many of these advancements. It’s been an exciting ride on the upward trajectory of technological advancement and evolution.

But as I look at the path ahead, I’m not so sure that we’re on track to continue this ascension. Sure, we’ll continue to see medical breakthroughs, we’ll progress in our use of technology, and we’ll continue to optimize every aspect of our human experience. But get on social media for about five minutes or skim just a few of the statistics that are pouring in right now on everything from mental health to drug use to suicide rates to test scores in our nation, and it will become quickly apparent that this little roller coaster we’ve been so happily riding on is heading for a downward turn—and, if we’re not careful, right off the tracks.

If I had to guess, somewhere deep inside, you feel it too. Your ass is starting to pucker up a little bit as you feel that oh shit moment that comes just before a roller coaster takes a nosedive. It doesn’t take a genius to see the warning signs popping up all around us.

I love this country. I love the principles that it was founded upon. I love the people who live here—the diverse, mixed bag of hardworking, freedom-loving, independent individuals who make up our society. I love this land, from the mountains in Colorado to the wide-open cattle fields in Texas to the sun and waves of Southern California. I was born here, raised here. I offered my life to serve this nation and protect its people. But as I look ahead, I fear for our trajectory. I fear for the future we’re creating for the next generation.

And that’s why we need to talk.

Because true change will only happen when honest, healthy, and thoughtful conversations take place.

We live in a world inundated with noise. The sound of people shouting their opinions and sharing information from every imaginable outlet—screaming to have their voices heard—surrounds us. We live to the beat of that chaotic symphony, and we’ve done it for so long we don’t even notice the deafening hum that invades every part of our world.

Humans have more methods of communication now than ever before. But though we may be talking, shouting, and cramming information into our minds like a football team with a stack of pizza boxes in front of them, no one is actually communicating. No one is sitting down and having real conversations. No one is really talking. And we sure as hell aren’t listening to each other.

We’ve become a polarized and divided society that refuses to emerge from our echo chambers to listen to anyone with a differing opinion. We’ve grown so accustomed to the incessant noise created by biased news outlets, angry people convinced of their own assumptions, and an onslaught of information that we’ve lost the ability to have any type of substantial, positive conversations with our fellow man. As a result, we miss out on the power that comes from innovative, open minds tackling our world’s problems from differing viewpoints and unique perspectives. These honest and thoughtful conversations are what birthed the very government and laws that we built our country upon.

There’s a lot of talk these days about wanting these types of conversations to take place, but unfortunately, it rarely happens. That’s because you seldom see two people with genuine, mutual respect for one another sit down to talk without a political agenda. You rarely see two people enter a conversation wanting to listen with the goal of truly understanding, rather than convincing the other person of their own position.

And that’s a real fucking problem.

In 2018, I launched my podcast, Mike Drop, with the primary goal of creating a setting in which authentic, honest conversations like these could take place. I had been a guest on numerous podcasts and was tired of how conversations were so often controlled and restricted. I wanted to sit down with men and women whom I respected and found interesting in an environment where we could take off our professional hats for a few minutes and just talk and listen to one another.

To create an environment where this could occur, I committed to recording all podcast episodes in person. That means a lot more work logistically, but it is worth it to me to sit eye to eye with people, breathe in the same oxygen, and dispense with stilted conversation and canned Q and A sessions. The simple act of physically being in the same room and looking each other in the eye while recording the podcast is powerful.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to interview numerous powerful, influential, and incredible people—people like Lara Logan, Andy Stumpf, Nick Irving, Eddie Gallagher, Dakota Meyer, Shawn Ryan, and many more. I didn’t bring them on for a labored, manufactured interview. I spent time thinking and preparing myself to have a thoughtful conversation, but we simply looked each other in the whites of our eyes and just talked when we sat down.

No matter who I am sitting across from, I enter each of these conversations with two things at the forefront of my mind. First, I bring a paramount level of respect for the person across from me—respect for who they are, what they’ve done with their life, and what they bring to the table. That respect also means that I appreciate the fact that they took time out of their busy schedule to sit down with me and talk. Secondly, I come to the table with a genuinely open mind. I’m not strategizing on how to trap them in hard-to-answer questions, not looking to convince them of my point of view, not trying to gain the upper hand in the conversation. I come willing to learn, expand my thinking, shift my perspective, and, yes, even change my mind about something that I thought I knew or understood.

Those two things—a genuine respect for the other person and an open mind—are the primary reasons I believe the Mike Drop Podcast has been so successful. As the audience has grown from hundreds to thousands to millions, it has become more and more clear to me just how ravenous our world is for honest conversation.

Through hours of sitting with people from all walks of life, areas of expertise, and positions of power, I have had my mind changed and my perspective challenged. It’s expanded my viewpoints and made me a better human being. It made me realize that real change in our world has to begin with individuals having the bravery to speak honestly with others, listen with an open mind, and take responsibility for their own actions and part to play in our world.

And that is the purpose behind this book.

I simply want to have an honest conversation with the other human beings I share this planet with. I want to have a conversation that isn’t emotionally or politically charged. I want to throw out some thoughts and ideas, and I want you to throw out yours. If I had it my way, we’d do this over a couple of beers beside my fireplace, but that’s obviously not realistic. This book is the next best thing.

So, before we dive in, let’s begin where all good conversations should—with respect for one another and an open mind. I don’t know a lot about you and your story, but I’d like to share a little of mine, so you have a better idea of who you’re talking to and the events that have shaped the thoughts and perspectives I am going to share with you.

I was born in a small town in Iowa and had a simple upbringing. I spent a large portion of my childhood in the great outdoors—running, playing, and swimming. My siblings and I pestered my parents nonstop to get us a dog, and though it took a few years to convince them, I finally got my wish in sixth grade when they surprised all of us with a black Labrador retriever puppy. We thought long and hard on what to name him and landed on Bud. No points for creativity on the name, but we loved him. I couldn’t wait to get home from school each day to see him waiting for me—eager and ready to play. I was just a small-town boy with a dog he loved. Little did I realize that my love for dogs would grow into a passion that would shape the course of my life and career.

My obsession with dogs growing up was matched only by my interest in becoming a US Navy SEAL. Both of my grandfathers served in World War II, and from a young age, I had a strong sense of pride for my country and the desire to play an active role in serving and protecting it. As a boy, an article in Popular Mechanics about the SEAL teams grabbed my attention, as did the movie Navy SEALs, so I set my sights on joining that elite group of individuals.

I joined the navy at seventeen, finished high school, and had to wait until I was eighteen to go through boot camp, which feels like an eternity to an impatient, testosterone-filled teenage boy. I went straight through boot camp and A School and then onto SEAL training. I was officially awarded the trident and was part of my first platoon at SEAL Team 3 by the time I was nineteen. In 2003 I was deployed to Iraq. I saw plenty of action in Operation Iraqi Freedom and had the opportunity to play a role in numerous special operations missions.

It was also in Iraq that I got to witness military working dogs in action. I heard a detailed account of an explosive-detector dog saving Marines’ lives by alerting them to a grenade booby trap hidden in a doorway. Upon hearing of this incident, I instantly knew that I wanted to work with similar dogs and utilize their remarkable abilities to defeat the tools of modern warfare. I had grown up around hunting dogs but seeing these incredible creatures perform in combat scenarios captured my attention and piqued my interest. I have always loved dogs, but something just turned on inside of me during my deployment in Iraq. Suddenly, I knew that I wanted to be a part of harnessing the power of these incredible creatures on a much higher level.

From that point forward, I began working with dogs for the remainder of my time in the navy—the last three and a half years of which I also served as a Navy SEAL instructor. I involved myself in all aspects of working with military working dogs, from training to breeding to studying the latest research and science on the subject. At the end of my third enlistment, I decided not to reenlist and instead launched my own dog company, Trikos International, which specializes in providing working K9s to a multitude of clients. Our clients include the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), and police departments across the US as well as individuals in need of personal protection dogs.

As business grew rapidly over the years, I was asked to write a couple of different books on the subject—one on special operations working dogs and one on dog training in general. I went for it and jumped into the world of publishing and was humbled and elated when both books hit The New York Times Bestsellers list. I was even more pleasantly surprised when my third book, a young adult version of the first, hit the Times list as well.

In 2010, I founded the Warrior Dog Foundation, a nonprofit special operations K9 retirement foundation dedicated to serving working military K9s, the special operations community, and their families. I created the foundation to provide a sanctuary for the retirement and rehabilitation of warrior K9s slated for euthanasia. When K9 warriors complete their service, they return home with physical and mental injuries, like many human veterans. Because these special dogs may have a bite history, aggression, and other traits that render them unadoptable, they often receive euthanasia.

I felt that it was wrong to see their lives end in such a way after all they had done to serve our country. The Warrior Dog Foundation helps transition them from an operational environment into a state-of-the-art kennel facility in Texas, ensuring the care of each K9 with dignity and grace, including both mental and physical rehabilitation for the rest of their lives.

After the Warrior Dog Foundation was well established, I developed an online training program for dog owners in 2016 called Trikos Team Dog. Through my time in the dog community, I learned that a lack of training and the resulting behavioral issues were responsible for the surrendering of the majority of shelter dogs. It baffled me to realize that there was such an incredible lack of affordable, readily available resources for dog owners on the market. I had to do something to help, so I combined knowledge from my time as a Navy SEAL multipurpose canine trainer, my experience training Trikos International working dogs, and the techniques developed with the retired working dogs at the Warrior Dog Foundation into a simple training program for everyday dog owners.

As the online training community grew, I also developed and released various dog care and training-related products such as collars, leashes, dog crates, CBD oils, and food and treats. Over the years, I have continued to grow all aspects of the business—from the online training program to the products to the community I’ve created to support dog owners all across the world.

In 2018, I launched the Mike Drop Podcast, which I mentioned above. It has also continued to expand and grow. I have already shared a good bit about my motivation to start the podcast and how that has inspired this book, so I won’t go into that again. As the old southern grandmas say, I don’t chew my cabbage twice.

So that’s Mike Ritland’s life in a nutshell. And now that you have a little bit better of an idea who I am, there are a few things that I want to get clear right off the bat. I’m a straight shooter (no pun intended for all you gun lovers out there), and you’ll find out very quickly that I’m direct and to the point. So let’s get a couple of things straight.

First of all, I want it said that just because I’m a Navy SEAL doesn’t mean that I assume that I know everything, and sure as hell shouldn’t lead you to assume that I do either. So don’t send me a message asking me questions like, Does Area 51 exist? and Is it true that the government is spraying mind control chemicals on people through crop dusters? How the fuck would I know? SEALs don’t fight aliens. And we probably don’t have as much top secret intel as you might think.

I’m proud of what I did and the elite group of individuals I enjoyed serving with. But I’m not naive enough to think that I am better than anyone else or assume that my perspective is more valuable than someone else’s simply because I was a SEAL. In some areas, my thoughts and opinions may hold more weight because of the experiences I’ve had and the skills I’ve acquired, just like anyone who has dedicated themselves to a particular craft or skill. But I certainly don’t want to enter this conversation with you assuming that I think I know everything or have the full picture of all aspects of life. I’ve put my ego in my back pocket and swallowed my pride, which I believe is a necessary prerequisite for anyone who wants to enter into an honest conversation, a conversation which, as we’ve discussed, requires an ability to have an open mind and pivot if necessary. I forged the thoughts that I will offer in this book through my own journey—one that has been wildly imperfect at times. I have made a shitload of mistakes. I’ve fallen and gotten back up. I’ve veered off track and had to course-correct more times than I can count. So while I am confident that I have valuable thoughts and perspectives to offer, I sure as fuck don’t think I know everything.

Secondly, I’d like to ask that you not put me in a box or automatically assume to know my thoughts or political leanings just by looking at me without actually listening to what I have to say. It’s easy to read about my background and jump to the conclusion that I’m just another alt-right, uberconservative, Donald Trump–loving Republican whose foreign policy basically boils down to sending our military to kick the world’s ass whenever possible.

While I hold certain views that would be considered very right-wing or conservative, I also hold many beliefs that would be considered extremely liberal. Some of my thoughts and opinions might surprise you. My belief on almost any social policy would fall in a very liberal category. I am pro-choice, pro–gay marriage, and all for the legalization of drugs. It’s not because I personally identify as a homosexual or want my daughters to have an abortion or use drugs myself, but because I believe that the government should leave people the fuck alone in as many areas as possible. Everyone should have the liberty and autonomy to do life as they see fit. So in my view, freedom means giving people the right to marry who they want to marry and smoke what they want to smoke and responsibly own and carry a gun if they want to own and carry a gun. My mantra is pretty simple: Let me do me, and I’ll let you do you, as long as neither involves hurting or harming others. If it does cause damage to anyone or anything else, you and I should be held fully responsible and accountable for our actions and suffer the consequences of making poor choices.

We’ll get into the nitty-gritty details of how this actually translates into politics and laws later, but I ask that you come with an open mind and not place me in a stereotyped box. If you already assume that you know my position before you actually listen to me, this whole honest conversation thing will be headed for the shitter before we even get started. I would never walk up to you, look you up and down, and then pretend to know the intricate thoughts and layered opinions that have formed your beliefs on politics, humanity, and the world at large without getting to know you first. I hope that you will extend that same courtesy to me as well.

Third, I want it said that while I believe that mutual respect between people is absolutely vital, I don’t give a shit about your feelings. If you’re a listener to the podcast, you already know that line well. I am not here to coddle you, and I’m not here to take care of your emotions. I will not disrespect you, but I have absolutely no regard for your feelings and whether or not they get bruised or rubbed the wrong way.

So check your sensitivities at the door.

If you are ready to be butt-hurt and offended for the sake of being offended, you can go choke yourself. And if that just offended you, I really don’t give a shit. And honestly, you should stop giving a shit too. It’s a travesty the way we have created a world in which we give over the keys to our internal feelings and emotions to others in the course of a simple conversation. If we’re going to have an honest talk, we’re not going to get anywhere if we spend the whole time doing a fucking ballet dance around each other’s feelings. We’re all adults here, aren’t we? I’m going to tell you right now that, yes, there will be swearing in this book. And if you’re the type of asshole who gets offended easily by strong language, then read this book. That’s right. Not "don’t read this book." Read this book. If you’re offended by my strong language, now is the perfect time for you to practice not giving someone else the power of control over your emotions. Because, let me tell you, the world can be a dangerous place sometimes. So toughen up a bit, mmmmkay?

We’re here to dialogue, brainstorm, and strategize about how we can make this nation and the world at large a better place. We’re here to figure out how we can roll up our sleeves and fix the problems and challenges we’re facing. This isn’t Thanksgiving Day with the in-laws where we need to tiptoe around everyone’s precious feelings and say anything besides what we really think.

In the following pages, I’m going to tell you what I think unapologetically, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I may say things that hit you the wrong way. It is never my intention to say something simply for the sake of getting a rise out of you, and I will never disrespect you. It’s simply my desire to speak my mind and uncover the reality of what is happening in the world around us as honestly as I know how. The truth is sharp, and sometimes it cuts deep.