The War

crosvs · #1 01-24-2007, 09:36 PM

... to continue my discussion from http://www.xoutpost.com/lounge/25962-out-curiosity-why-our-news-sooooooo-local-3.html:

Quote:

Eric - I sometimes have a hard time figuring out why you live in the USA, partaking in its horrible capalistic society and exercising the freedoms guaranteed under its Constitution, when you hate it so much?

I also have a hard time figuring if you hate the POTUS, and generalize that hatred to all Americans, businesses, and institutions of government, of if you actually hate Americans, businesses, and institutions of government.

Whatever the case may be, I often also wonder how there are so few people in this country who are so enlightened as to what really happens, and the other 300 million of us are mindless dolts caught up in the government propoganda machine. Actually, maybe I'm more offended that the enlightened few actually believe that I have no mind of my own.

At least Scottie throws stones from another country. I don't agree with some (OK most, when it come sot politics) of the stuff she says, but she's not having it both ways.

One thing to remember Scottie - no one appointed us captain. It was thrust upon us when we were attacked, by terrorists, who wish to acquire WMD to do us even more harm. Prior to 9/11, there was actually a trend towards isolationism in this country - you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone. It all changed that day.

We can argue the Iraq war all day long and get about as far as our own Congress is getting (that would be nowhere). Personally, I think there is no doubt that our President and Congress overestimated the size of the mandate they were handed by the people. But, in our form of government, you live with it until you can change it.

However - we have the absolute inalienable right to act in our own self-defense. And, for better or for worse, depending upon your perspective, we have the will, the personnel, and the means to do so.

I often wonder if the self-righteous Europeans would turn the other cheek in the face of a terrorist attack on the scale of what happened to the US. I tend to doubt it. On the other hand, outside of the UK, there probably isn't a damn thing they could do about it either, for want of means and will.

As my best friend always says when he criticizes me, "hey, it's just part of my job description." In other words, if he, as my best friend, didn't point out my flaws ... then who would?!

In other words, as Americans, we have a DUTY to criticize our government and its policies -- NOT blindly follow it and just assume/pretend that it's good and right just out of blind national pride. Any chimpanzee can do that. I'd like to believe we are a little more intelligent than that.

As my Dad -- who's 100% American -- always says, "it is precisely BECAUSE I'm a proud American, BECAUSE I'm so patriotic, that I so strongly voice my crticisms of our present regime."

Put another way: suppose a Frenchman; and Italian; a Russian; a Brazilian; or anyone else NOT American, were to criticize our heretofore wonderful country. OBVIOUSLY we can VERY EASILY shut them up MERELY on the grounds that they are not American, e.g., what right do THEY have to criticize our land?

That then leaves ONLY AMERICANS to criticize the wrongs of our government. Thus, if WE do not do so ... then ... WHO WOULD?!

Indeed: I submit that *NOT* vehemently criticizing our governemnt is in fact the ANTITHESIS of true patriotism; vocal outcries of disapproval then ARE the most fundamental elements of a true patriot as it shows concern rather than blind following.

But as B-Line frighteningly suggests in the aforementioned thread, or as YellowJacket explictly states a few msgs above, if being American means only loving local news; explosions; deaths; and natural disasters; and if being American means never criticizing our government when it is clearly at fault ... then wow, y'all can keep your NASCAR.

But I for one am proud to be of this country, if only because we CAN speak up and voice our disapprovals, as opposed to the modernly corrupt Islamic regimes in Iran, for instance, where this very essence of nationalism is mutable by death -- an Islamic extremist corruption of what once was a beautiful and democratic society.

ylwjacket · #2 01-25-2007, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crosvs

... to continue my discussion from http://www.xoutpost.com/lounge/25962-out-curiosity-why-our-news-sooooooo-local-3.html:

As my best friend always says when he criticizes me, "hey, it's just part of my job description." In other words, if he, as my best friend, didn't point out my flaws ... then who would?!

In other words, as Americans, we have a DUTY to criticize our government and its policies -- NOT blindly follow it and just assume/pretend that it's good and right just out of blind national pride. Any chimpanzee can do that. I'd like to believe we are a little more intelligent than that.

As my Dad -- who's 100% American -- always says, "it is precisely BECAUSE I'm a proud American, BECAUSE I'm so patriotic, that I so strongly voice my crticisms of our present regime."

Put another way: suppose a Frenchman; and Italian; a Russian; a Brazilian; or anyone else NOT American, were to criticize our heretofore wonderful country. OBVIOUSLY we can VERY EASILY shut them up MERELY on the grounds that they are not American, e.g., what right do THEY have to criticize our land?

That then leaves ONLY AMERICANS to criticize the wrongs of our government. Thus, if WE do not do so ... then ... WHO WOULD?!

Indeed: I submit that *NOT* vehemently criticizing our governemnt is in fact the ANTITHESIS of true patriotism; vocal outcries of disapproval then ARE the most fundamental elements of a true patriot as it shows concern rather than blind following.

But as B-Line frighteningly suggests in the aforementioned thread, or as YellowJacket explictly states a few msgs above, if being American means only loving local news; explosions; deaths; and natural disasters; and if being American means never criticizing our government when it is clearly at fault ... then wow, y'all can keep your NASCAR.

But I for one am proud to be of this country, if only because we CAN speak up and voice our disapprovals, as opposed to the modernly corrupt Islamic regimes in Iran, for instance, where this very essence of nationalism is mutable by death -- an Islamic extremist corruption of what once was a beautiful and democratic society.

I don't know who your dad is, and I don't really understand all of what you are trying to say, other than your dad is 100% American.

It is our duty to quetion the gov't. What annoys me is that there is a certain class of people in this country who feel that they, and they alone, are the enlightened class, and if you don't agree with the, you are a mindless idiot.

You missed my point.

"Lethargy [is] the forerunner of death to the public liberty." --Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787.