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Tuesday, October 01, 2002
"May you live in interesting times". Such was written by 1950's science fiction author Eric Frank Russell, and quoted years later by Robert Kennedy. Reference to this quotation is often in the context of a Chinese curse, intended to be an infliction of upheaval and violence upon a culture, people, or nation.
After watching the protests in London this weekend, and after listening to some of the ranting of election-year minded American senators, and liberal utopian thinkers, I was reminded of this quote. We, as a society, do indeed live in "interesting" times. Not much more than a year ago, America was sorrowful, seeking vengence for thousands of its people being killed during the early morning of September eleventh. Today, the same sentiment has turned to loathing, and scorn. The same people who supported our war on terror now seek to undermine this resolve, and to demonize efforts to remove the purveyors of the affliction know as terrorism from our midst.
Today, I feel sorrow. I feel sadness. I feel anger, and mistrust. I feel a dire need for God in our lives. And I fear that we will never return to the days of singular purpose, peaceful existence, and security coupled with the unabated freedoms that Americans have been known for over the last 226 years. Such anti-US sentiment is propogated for myriad reasons: envy, mistrust, jealousy, and a blind trust in peace initiatives and those who seek to establish them (while ignoring a parallel need for enforcement and deterrence of law and order in the world) all come to mind.
I watched as Englanders waved American flags overlaid with swastikas, an allusion to the horrible policies wielded by Hitler in 1930's Germany. Not only am I angered at the hypocrisy of these protesters (who are known historically for their undying pursuance of colonialism and oppression across all borders - just ask the ancients of the Middle East and the Orient), but I hasten to remind them who came to their aid when this same Hitler sought to invade and conquer them.
It is small-minded, and self-righteous to accuse the United States of atrocities that it has fought long and hard to eradicate. We all have occasion to question our leaders, and their policies. This is a right as American as any. But to mischaracterize this federalist society (not democratic, as some might claim) as brutal, inhumane, and Hitleresque is quite simply misrepresentative of the truth.
In light of the actions across the world, it might seem to be in our best interest to recall much of the aid we send abroad, as well as the military protection stationed globally. Certainly, it is my first reaction to say "to hell with them all" and rein in our societal influence, adhering to a 21st Century Monroe DOctrine. In this way, the world can learn for itself how dangerous Saddam Hussein and those like him can be. Rest assured, if America pursues this policy, Brits, Germans, and Europeans alike will come crying with haste as they clamor to gain assistance into helping them destroy Hussein's arsenal of "weapons of mass destruction".
However, for all practical purposes, we cannot do so. We have to ensure that Hussein does not continue to pursue his goal of "killing the infidels". We cannot succumb to the mass propagandization of the world populace by letting them "have their way". If you have not read the Blair administration's dossier on Iraq, do so, and so do quickly. Afterward, you will see for yourself what needs to be done. You will know, once and for all, that we do, indeed, live in "interesting times."Labels: Archives_2002
.: posted by
Dave
8:45 AM
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