Is America Worth fighting for?
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A post by "Seigle Seigle" To see more posts click here |
This is half a response to JMal’s “Airport Security: Missing the Point” and half an editorial on my views about the country as a whole. JMal brought up several great points in his writing and I think it opened the door for me to address something that is crucial to the history of these United States.
JMal believes that terrorism as an ideology is alive and prospering and that we, in the USA, spend an awful amount of time and energy ripening its fruits and stressing about it because we’re scared. He correctly asks the question, where does the “security” stop if a terrorist blows up the lobby of the airport rather than the plane – TSA will then check you into the airport? Into the car line?
I love JMal’s view of government and his view of the political landscape in this country and I think it is important to call all those people out. But, I’ve been doing some soul searching over Christmas and have realized that I think our country lacks a courage to stand up for something, anything. I am truly concerned that people involved in terrorism are willing to die for their ideals. In our country, at one point in time, brothers and families were willing to fight for their beliefs, rightly or wrongly, and for America. There are a ton of people in the military that go to work everyday knowing they could die for their country; I am taking them out of the equation for the moment. I’m talking about you and me.
And if you don’t want to discuss you, then I’ll just hammer me. Would I be willing to die for this country right now if WW3 broke out? Better yet, would I take up arms if a country invaded our United States? Yah, we have moved onto bigger and better things. We’ve progressed, changed, become more tolerant and more accepting. I’m not hating on that. I’m hating on the idea that Americans have forgotten that you have to stand for something or fall for anything.
Yah, that’s cliche, I get it. Am I’m naive and elementary in my viewpoints, probably so. But at least I’m real with you. Americans are becoming more and more soft. Soft in thinking that our government is going to stop terrorism for us and make this world a better place. Soft in thinking that the biggest threat to our children is global warming. Soft in thinking that our United States will continue to be invincible if we beef up security at airports. Soft in thinking that TSA is going to protect us from a man who is willing to die from what he feels he is called to do. Soft like us thinking that someone else, such as our government or military leaders, will be the ones who solve that issue.
And as long as we continue to become softer, terrorists will eat us for lunch. We’re the blood, they’re the vampire. And there’s no shortage of blood in our country.
A strong defense is always a key to winning championships. But a strong defense is as offensive as it is impenetrable. Our fighting spirit as a country is dwindling, our lack of courage is rising. It doesn’t begin and end with our government, it begins and ends with me personally. I make the decision to not fight, but allow fear to overcome me. I make the decision to lack courage as I am worried of the residual effects.
We stand up for the thought that our government is going to solve our problems…because we’re no longer willing to die for anything – Belie Dat!
“Their fear based ideology is infectious and it’s grabbing hold in America. Distrust in freedom supported by faith in government security.” JMal
udothedishes…
Beautifully said. Look at the “greatest generation,” those who grew up during the depression and grew up to take up arms in WWII. They did whatever it took and those who weren’t in the military at home shared the sense of community and stayed involved by building weapons/ships et al. You have to look within to cure the ills of this country.
You look at those who diverted the last plane (Flight 93) during 9/11 and even more topical, look at the guy who stopped the underwear bomber – we have to vigilant like them. We have to be patriots and we have to be Americans. As Stephen Ambrose put it, “Ultimately all men want to know two things: to whom do I owe thanks that I should live in such opportunity AND when the time comes, will I have the courage?”
This is such a great article Seigle! And the map…fucking scary! Thanks for opening my eyes a little more…we are a nation on wimpy, self obsessed, PC whiners. I think I’m going to buy a gun now…
Worth fighting for is upholding the constitution and protecting and defending freedom without taking people’s freedoms away.
Liberty or death used to stand for something. Back when men still knew what was sacrificed in order to obtain the cherished freedoms we take for granted today.
Living in fear is how the people in charge want things to stay. It’s much easy to gain power and control when people are afraid and feel helpless.
Very well written Bobby.
I think anytime you’re at war with an -ism you have to realize that the front of the war is between peoples ears. Communism, Fascism, Racism, Terrorism, no matter what it is the battle is one of thinking and ideology and can’t be squashed by simply wiping out guerrillas or uniformed troops. I agree with the overall sentiment of the article, as I believe that only individual citizens can really keep the homeland secure, but I don’t know if it’s accurate to say that the nation has grown soft.
The American people have tolerated an awful lot as far as war is concerned. I think that more than anything else, the public has grown tired of watching the government machine move slowly against an amorphous enemy. A military response, in the traditional sense, cannot be the end all solution to our terrorism problem. Up until now Al Qaeda has been able to recruit at will, and typically targeted villagers and youth as they were oftentimes the easiest demographic to brainwash. I feel like Gen. Stanley McCrystal understands this and is wisely introducing psychological tactics to help convey that we are not the enemy to these people, and that Al Qaeda is shamelessly planting seeds guised with religious demagoguery in an effort to get civilians to do their dirty work.
Much in the same way McCrystal is trying to deliver on this awakening, I think the American people understand that the psychological component to living on the home front. Everybody has a responsibility to be vigilant and stand up when shit is awry. I don’t think Al Qaeda is sophisticated enough to do some intricate high-level type attack that would be beyond basic public vigilance. I’m not saying you’ve got to pack a gun everytime you walk down the street or tackle every middle-eastern and/or Muslim person you see, just pay attention using basic common sense.
Samir, I agree with you about how Americans are sick of war because it’s lasted so long, politics have clouded the message, etc. Also completely agree a war vs -isms are “between the ears.” Reading “Horse Soldiers” by Doug Stanton was really telling about how our special forces guys meshed with the Afghan culture, led forces outnumbered in some cases 10-1 and succeeded in destroying the mindset that Al-Qaeda was instilling in the Afghan people. Just plugging for a good book.
Some other good ones are ‘Kill Bin Laden’ by Dalton Fury (Delta) and ‘Lone Survivor’ by Marcus Lutrell (Seal), those were among the best books I read last year.
Seigle Seigle. Great Post! and a great book reference also. So much insider information to the tactics used by the Major Powers in war. Anyway, I agree with you that America as a whole has gone soft.
I believe it is an indictment of our school system. For years they have been teaching kids that it’s okay to be average, that winning or being the best isn’t important. First it was kids not being allowed to pick teams in gym class because someone would end up being picked last. Then it was the “fat” kids or the kids who weren’t in shape could opt out of running the mile. Now it’s the mentality that if you are nice to everyone than everyone will like each other and get along. That’s simply not realistic. Most people are inherently aware either from a rap song or a life experience that success breeds hate. If you are successful no matter what you do someone will hate you for it.
The past two administrations have failed to realize that. Whether its George Bush’s nation-building in the name of Democratic Peace Theory, or the Obama administrations apologizing to the world for past US transgressions, the US will always have its enemies because of its success. My fear moving forward is that this administration is attempting to scale back the successes of the US both economically and socially, in an effort to “make friends” with the world. I liken that decision to being punched in the face and then having the same guy take your girl out to dinner while you sit idley by.
It seems like the people in this Country have somewhat realized what’s really going on. Our generation wasn’t alive for the Jimmy Carter Administration in which much of the same people ran the government with a filibuster proof majority and that ended in a disaster both economically and socially. America just needs a leader, whether president or otherwise to project both strength and optimism. I believe that at the core of every American it is still there, someone just needs to bring it out of us.