Re: Patriotism {& POLITICS}

From: Dehede011@aol.com
Date: Mon Apr 07 2003 - 10:00:39 MDT

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    In a message dated 4/7/2003 4:09:36 AM Central Standard Time,
    samantha@objectent.com writes: I deeply love the principles this country was
    founded on. I deeply abhor the cancerous growth that dares to posture as the
    legitimate government of a [once] free people. I have no loyalty to that
    which is set to the destruction of what I love. - samantha

    Samantha,
           It seems to me that you have put your finger on one of the fundamental
    problems of being human. I am saying that in the specific context of the
    Iraqi conflict.
           We, as human beings, are individuals. We are born alone and we die
    alone. In between we spend a lot of time alone. We are taught and we learn
    to have standards. If you please, we learn to erect a pole star as a guide
    to our conduct.
           Still, ideally, we are conceived in the love of two people and are
    nurtured for nine months by a mother loved and supported by a father. We are
    raised as a member of a family, a community and a nation. If we are
    fortunate, while still fairly young, we learn that we are members of the
    family of man.
           I think the basic dichotomy of our existence is that we are
    individuals and members of a society.
           Like you, if my memory serves me well, I am a libertarian with a small
    ell. As such I am an individualist. But I have also learned long ago that I
    can board a jetliner and fly anywhere in the world. When we land and
    disembark they will not call me a part blood Indian, nor will they identify
    me by the nationality of any of my white ancestors -- they will simply call
    me an American. If they do not like Americans they will assail me as such
    regardless of my particular feelings.
           In the immediate situation I have lurked on a middle eastern site,
    discussed international affairs with friends from the middle east, and
    listened to the ranting against the Jews and the Americans by coworkers (on
    the job) from the middle east far too many times over too long a time to
    believe the present difficulty is caused by anything more than the aggressive
    intent against Americans by middle easterners. Samantha, you may come to a
    different conclusion but that is mine.
           Am I excusing all conduct by my own country? No, of course not.
    Sometimes we anger people by actually doing something wrong. Often we are
    blamed as wrong because two countries having different goals desire mutually
    exclusive help from us. As an example, how could we do as the middle
    easterners want & help them slaughter the Israelis?
           I guess in the end, life and our opponents sometimes force us to make
    the Robert E. Lee decision. We don't have the luxury of not choosing sides.
    So, we pick the best of a less than ideal choice. In my own case the choice
    between Sadaam and the US was relatively very easy.
    Ron h.



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