NEW YEAR'S REVOLUTION
After "9-11", when crazy-talking Ann Coulter said "we should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity" I didn't really believe it would become something of a foreign policy for our administration.
It looks like the first two out of those three things have happened (more or less) in regard to Iraq. We have invaded their country, and we have basically killed their leader... but I don't think we will ever win the religious part of that war. IF we get involved in some kind of war with Iran, I'm guessing it will be the same kind of thing, that is, we would invade Iran, and kill Ahmedinejad or get him executed... but then we wouldn't be able to win the religious battle.
I don't believe the United States can convert the people of Islamic nations en masse when it comes to either Christianity or our idea of democracy, and I believe we are fools to try, or to consider trying.
As a continuation of that previous quote, Coulter goes on to say "We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war." I shudder to think that she is basically advocating carpet-bombing Middle-Eastern cities and killing civilians, and I also shudder to think that if the Bush administration has basically shown itself to be in agreement with the first part of her quote... how much would they also be in agreement with the second part? I believe she is definitely crazy, almost humorously so, but I also believe there are too many people in our country who share her views, and that she is more influential than some of care to admit.
How much more will Bush and Co. escalate tensions in the Middle East? There are 749 days left in his administration. That gives him plenty of time to make things even worse than they already are in that part of the world. How much more CAN Bush do, and what can we do to keep it from happening? Is there anything we can do?
That brings me to a New Year's resolution. I have mostly given up on making them, because they are usually made to be broken. One thing I vow to do more of this year, though... I plan to use e-mails and letters to make my opinions known, not only to those who represent me and this part of the world in Washington D.C., but to other politicians who might be influential in determining courses of action regarding issues which are important to me. Whether or not you are on the same side of the political fence as me, I would urge you to do the same. Maybe they will read what you have to say, maybe not... but it IS something we can all do, and maybe it will help us feel good in knowing we are at least TRYING to get them to represent us.
2007 can be a good year, and we can all do our best to make it happen.
It looks like the first two out of those three things have happened (more or less) in regard to Iraq. We have invaded their country, and we have basically killed their leader... but I don't think we will ever win the religious part of that war. IF we get involved in some kind of war with Iran, I'm guessing it will be the same kind of thing, that is, we would invade Iran, and kill Ahmedinejad or get him executed... but then we wouldn't be able to win the religious battle.
I don't believe the United States can convert the people of Islamic nations en masse when it comes to either Christianity or our idea of democracy, and I believe we are fools to try, or to consider trying.
As a continuation of that previous quote, Coulter goes on to say "We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war." I shudder to think that she is basically advocating carpet-bombing Middle-Eastern cities and killing civilians, and I also shudder to think that if the Bush administration has basically shown itself to be in agreement with the first part of her quote... how much would they also be in agreement with the second part? I believe she is definitely crazy, almost humorously so, but I also believe there are too many people in our country who share her views, and that she is more influential than some of care to admit.
How much more will Bush and Co. escalate tensions in the Middle East? There are 749 days left in his administration. That gives him plenty of time to make things even worse than they already are in that part of the world. How much more CAN Bush do, and what can we do to keep it from happening? Is there anything we can do?
That brings me to a New Year's resolution. I have mostly given up on making them, because they are usually made to be broken. One thing I vow to do more of this year, though... I plan to use e-mails and letters to make my opinions known, not only to those who represent me and this part of the world in Washington D.C., but to other politicians who might be influential in determining courses of action regarding issues which are important to me. Whether or not you are on the same side of the political fence as me, I would urge you to do the same. Maybe they will read what you have to say, maybe not... but it IS something we can all do, and maybe it will help us feel good in knowing we are at least TRYING to get them to represent us.
2007 can be a good year, and we can all do our best to make it happen.
9 Comments:
Maybe I'm naive but I think there are a lot of people in this country who would agree with Coulter if they were sitting in a bar having a beer blowing hot air but in terms of REALLY voting to rain destruction down on innocent people in the Middle East, I'm not so sure.
There's also a flaw in her logic...the countries of Germany and Japan and Italy actually declared war on us. No Middle Eastern country has even come close to doing that (and a large percentage of people living in those countries would actually like to emigrate here).
I think you are right, J. I think that a lot of people would like to blow off steam and say things like Coulter says, but when it got down to brass tacks I like to believe Americans are smart enough that a large majority would totally disagree with her logic, or with her lack thereof.
That was another thing about her quote that made me shudder: her hinting that the "war on terror" is just like WWII...
Is there anything we can do? Yes. We can hold the newly elected Democratic majority's feet to the fire and make sure they do their job. Email & letters are a very good start.
Great post, Snave.
Good post and good points made all around. We need to remind our public servants who they really work for, and can replace them if they fail to perform to duty they were chosen to do.
The fight's not over by any measure that's for sure.
Coulter can be passed off as blowing off steam, but it's far more serious when you hear it from Government officials and Generals, not just some blonde writer or a jackass in a bar.
It seems to me as I watch and read the bellicose opinions of the likes of Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and their ilk, that the one thing they have in common is the unlikelihood of neither them nor their adult children ever being required to put on uniforms and go to Iraq to be shot at.
So, bring back the draft, is what I say.
Yeah, it's amazing to me how many creepy crawlies have managed to gain control of the government and media. I don't recall it being like that in the 80s. We've some real whackos in positions of power.
I agree completely, Snave.
it's far too easy in this country to sit back and let the gov't just lurch along and, if we feel really energetic, get out to vote once every 4 years or so.
we've got to begin making ourselves heard. if we don't, the Ann Coulters and Rush Limbaughs are the only voices of America that WILL be heard and, in that scenario, heaven help us.
if not us, who? if not now, when?
Here's a thought: Wouldn't it be nice if Ann Coulter, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson would just crawl back to whatever hole they came out of, and take Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Louis Farrakhan with them? If you put all six of them in a room together, you still wouldn't find one coherent thought, and their arrogance and hypocrisy would be truly suffocating.
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