The future past tense

Let's give the highest praise possible to President Donald Trump: He didn't mortify his country on Independence Day.

Other than his Revolutionary War airport thingy, he stuck to the script and gave a vanilla salute to the nation, which tries to overlook that most of its founders were slaveholders. He also choreographed a display of military might, a few flyovers and some tanks scattered around for good measure. Thanks to his staff's frantic efforts, he even drew a good crowd.

But it's time to engage in any pundit's favorite pastime, which is forgetting the past and gazing at the future. As I'v...