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2006-08-12 Home Front: Culture Wars

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Posted by Mike 2006-08-12 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "To the Americans, the idea that freedom and democracy exact a cost in blood is second nature."

Well, let's hope so.

Posted by ex-lib 2006-08-12 00:28|| 2006-08-12 00:28|| Front Page Top

#2 By God, he gets it.

Posted by flyover 2006-08-12 02:14|| 2006-08-12 02:14|| Front Page Top

#3 I agree, however, even better would be making the enemy sumfabitch die for his country/creed (with ample distance--he may be a splodey).

Posted by twobyfour 2006-08-12 03:28|| 2006-08-12 03:28|| Front Page Top

#4 As Patton said : "The idea of warfare is not for you to die for your country. It is to make the other poor son-of-a-bitch die for his."

Posted by Shieldwolf 2006-08-12 04:36|| 2006-08-12 04:36|| Front Page Top

#5 The idea of warfare is not for you to die for your country. It is to make the other poor son-of-a-bitch die for his."

Yep, the difference between Sgt. York and Sen. McCain.

Posted by 6 2006-08-12 06:46|| 2006-08-12 06:46|| Front Page Top

#6 6: Yep, the difference between Sgt. York and Sen. McCain.

I'm no McCain fan (although I would vote for him over any Democratic candidate, including Lieberman), but McCain flew over North Vietnam when LBJ was president, meaning that the rules of engagement against anti-aircraft batteries was no firing until fired upon. I don't think Alvin York had to worry about waiting for bullets to fly by him before he was allowed to shoot back.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2006-08-12 09:46|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2006-08-12 09:46|| Front Page Top

#7 Shoot back first.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2006-08-12 09:59|| 2006-08-12 09:59|| Front Page Top

#8 It can be said that philosophically, most of America is optimistic and realistic; whereas Europe is pessimistic and realistic.

Our common ground, realism, means that neither of us claim to be a sacred people whose founders were gods; we do not seek perfection on Earth, and we look with cynicism on those who do; and that we prefer the clarity of the here and now to a mythical future or past where all our dreams come true, or when everything was perfect.

Even our idealists are grounded. Americans can look out over a patch of nasty, harsh desert and imagine there a New Jerusalem. Just needs some wallpaper and a few throw pillows and there you are. Call it the idealism of low expectations.

Optimism and Pessimism are where we differ. Europeans have had 1500 years to burn almost every drop of optimism out of them.

Endless times, some optimist would lead them forward only to be bitterly stomped out. Their philosophy in their daily lives has become: "Things will go on like this for years and years, and then get worse."

For them, happy endings, even in a movie, are just painful reminders of all the times when there hasn't been a happy ending.

Americans, for the most part, are all about happy endings. We insist on them. We refuse and reject losing, seeing it only as having missed an opportunity to turn a loss into a win. Better luck next time. Every cloud has a silver lining. If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And a hundred other such homilies.

Add on to that the revolutionary spirit. Americans, again for the most part, truly believe in their revolution. They want to share the wealth, the idea that if people get real democracy, they will be better off no matter where they live.

Plus, they strongly distrust anyone who isn't a democrat. Among our presidents, those who are remembered most favorably are first those that protect democracy and attack tyranny, and then those that spread democracy.

We hold the idea that though we would prefer to live and let live with other peoples, we can no longer afford to be isolationistic. That non-democrats anywhere, left to their own devices, will make trouble in the world.

And this is our biggest pride. That we are not content to profit from non-democrats just because we can, supporting their status quo; but that we always demand that they do something in pursuit of democracy and freedom, no matter how small.

We do not profit directly from this, which befuddles other democracies less inclined to interfere, less willing to spread the revolution. But it is our crown jewel.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-08-12 11:30|| 2006-08-12 11:30|| Front Page Top

#9 Ok, I appreciate the article and the comments, but when I read the title, I became immensely sad, because I read it not as being descriptive of americans as a whole (Americans would die for Liberty), but instead predictive of the future:

Americans shall die for liberty.

Posted by Mark E. 2006-08-12 12:11|| 2006-08-12 12:11|| Front Page Top

#10 think freedom is so valuable that it is worth dying for
By God Andrew you got it!

Posted by 49 Pan">49 Pan 2006-08-12 15:17|| 2006-08-12 15:17|| Front Page Top

#11 Americans shall die for liberty.

Yep. :<

Posted by 6 2006-08-12 18:55|| 2006-08-12 18:55|| Front Page Top

#12 I am so pleased to see that article from the Telegraph. He obviously gets it - good man Mr Gimson!

Posted by Tony (UK) 2006-08-12 19:08|| 2006-08-12 19:08|| Front Page Top

#13 Better to die for liberty than to live in ~~dhimmitude~~ slavery.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2006-08-12 20:40|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com] 2006-08-12 20:40|| Front Page Top

#14 God bless the USA. The worlds last hope.

Posted by 49 Pan">49 Pan 2006-08-12 22:42|| 2006-08-12 22:42|| Front Page Top

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