.The Suicide of America
There are those who discipline a child, and then there are those who try and befriend it.
To the latter person, a person spanking or using a switch might seem tantamount to child abuse.
To the former, a person who spoils a child and never cuts the cord is neglecting their duties as a parent.
We could enlarge the scope of these two camps—the passive vs. the aggressive stereotype-- to the realm of American Politics. A liberal view might hold that War is an unnecessary evil, and that the real way to solve problems is through diplomacy. Enter the Conservative, who may believe that in the failure of diplomatic means, War is a determinable and necessary strategy for achieving peace or victory.
We have seen this active dispute before, in 1968, 69, and so on. We have seen it in 1939 and 40. But that was only before December 7th.
On September 11th, 2001—it has been said that for the first time, the guns were pointed the other way. It has been said that we have been at fault through our collective ignorance and intolerance of Middle Eastern philosophy and culture. It has also been said that it was a unprovoked assault that killed 3,000 innocent civilians.
The War in Iraq is often looked through the lens of the post-9/11 world. It has been used in almost every spoken delivery by the President multiple times since it happened five years ago. It has been called a war in the larger fight against Terrorism. Others have called it a convenient excuse.
Where is the American citizen in this debate? We are the parents who are arguing with each other over how to teach and punish a child.
America’s mothers and fathers are however, also America’s daughters and sons. We are the parents--but we are also the children.
On one hand, we fight our enemies with the faithful duty of loyal children. On the other, we have reduced the cynicism of our arguments to the level of immature sibling rivalry.
One side says that we should not only reason with the child, but that the child should also be able to reason with us. Some people believe that protecting our country is actually an attempt to remove the vox populi--voice of the people.
Like it or not, Any public words that provide comfort and aid to the enemies of America ultimately become complicit with their cause--and with their crime.
They put all Americans in jeopardy, by exposing our weaknesses--not exhibiting our strengths.
The seeds of division planted by the proponents of liberalism go beyond party or platform--all the way to borderline treason, when it splinters the fabric of our home, and of our own solidarity. It does as much harm as parents who argue about discipline in front of their child. To divide openly in the face of a threat conquers the objective of victory. A united front is the responsible way to defeat a ruthless enemy. We cannot play offense when our defensive ends our compromised.
Division shows lack of spirit, lack of honor, and lack of courage. It also shows an obvious lack of commitment--to the larger objective of our survival at all.
It is said that "dissent protects democracy"—but not if in the process, the entire forum for democracy is destroyed, by aiding our enemies, by dividing us into cliques that refuse to work towards a common objective, by creating the setting of a cold-civil war, or by letting that dissent degenerate into American cynicism and defeat. Esa Saarinen once said, "cynicism is the opposite of creativity." Ralph B. Perry wrote, "I prefer credulity to skepticism and cynicism for there is more promise in almost anything than in nothing at all.” The essayist Norman Cousins said that cynicism was "intellectual treason."
When the dissent of cynics is allowed to spread, it becomes a self-inflicted wound to our country and to our flag--that leads ultimately not to triumph, not to victory--but to suicide.
Abraham Lincoln once said:
At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
TPMCafe
To the latter person, a person spanking or using a switch might seem tantamount to child abuse.
To the former, a person who spoils a child and never cuts the cord is neglecting their duties as a parent.
We could enlarge the scope of these two camps—the passive vs. the aggressive stereotype-- to the realm of American Politics. A liberal view might hold that War is an unnecessary evil, and that the real way to solve problems is through diplomacy. Enter the Conservative, who may believe that in the failure of diplomatic means, War is a determinable and necessary strategy for achieving peace or victory.
We have seen this active dispute before, in 1968, 69, and so on. We have seen it in 1939 and 40. But that was only before December 7th.
On September 11th, 2001—it has been said that for the first time, the guns were pointed the other way. It has been said that we have been at fault through our collective ignorance and intolerance of Middle Eastern philosophy and culture. It has also been said that it was a unprovoked assault that killed 3,000 innocent civilians.
The War in Iraq is often looked through the lens of the post-9/11 world. It has been used in almost every spoken delivery by the President multiple times since it happened five years ago. It has been called a war in the larger fight against Terrorism. Others have called it a convenient excuse.
Where is the American citizen in this debate? We are the parents who are arguing with each other over how to teach and punish a child.
America’s mothers and fathers are however, also America’s daughters and sons. We are the parents--but we are also the children.
On one hand, we fight our enemies with the faithful duty of loyal children. On the other, we have reduced the cynicism of our arguments to the level of immature sibling rivalry.
One side says that we should not only reason with the child, but that the child should also be able to reason with us. Some people believe that protecting our country is actually an attempt to remove the vox populi--voice of the people.
Like it or not, Any public words that provide comfort and aid to the enemies of America ultimately become complicit with their cause--and with their crime.
They put all Americans in jeopardy, by exposing our weaknesses--not exhibiting our strengths.
The seeds of division planted by the proponents of liberalism go beyond party or platform--all the way to borderline treason, when it splinters the fabric of our home, and of our own solidarity. It does as much harm as parents who argue about discipline in front of their child. To divide openly in the face of a threat conquers the objective of victory. A united front is the responsible way to defeat a ruthless enemy. We cannot play offense when our defensive ends our compromised.
Division shows lack of spirit, lack of honor, and lack of courage. It also shows an obvious lack of commitment--to the larger objective of our survival at all.
It is said that "dissent protects democracy"—but not if in the process, the entire forum for democracy is destroyed, by aiding our enemies, by dividing us into cliques that refuse to work towards a common objective, by creating the setting of a cold-civil war, or by letting that dissent degenerate into American cynicism and defeat. Esa Saarinen once said, "cynicism is the opposite of creativity." Ralph B. Perry wrote, "I prefer credulity to skepticism and cynicism for there is more promise in almost anything than in nothing at all.” The essayist Norman Cousins said that cynicism was "intellectual treason."
When the dissent of cynics is allowed to spread, it becomes a self-inflicted wound to our country and to our flag--that leads ultimately not to triumph, not to victory--but to suicide.
Abraham Lincoln once said:
At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
TPMCafe
posted by madtom at 11:45 AM
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