Are We Good?
On 4/17/06 11:22 AM, "Karasmanis, Tom" wrote:
Of course, this is James’ and George Bush’s position all along. They take it upon themselves to change other people, change the internal makeup of other countries, change the world order, as if this were their God-given right, their destiny, their prerogative. Such arrogance! Such hubris! Such righteousness!
Turn the question around: Does another country (say, the former Soviet Union) have the right to go into our country and impose their political/economic/religious system? However, James would say that WE have the moral right because WE are good, WE are just, WE stand for freedom. While you and I may believe that we are good, isn’t that just a point of view? Aren’t we being arrogant and righteous?
Well, here’s another question: Are we good? Mind you, we aren’t all bad...we do stand for freedom, we are progressive socially and technologically. But this does not obviate the bad.
And the bad is legion: we rape our environment for the sake of economic growth; we interfere in the internal affairs of other nations through propping up puppet governments (Saddam is a fine example), through inciting rebellion (Nicaragua is a fine example), through all-out war (the Vietnam War is a fine example); our multinational corporations go into Third World countries and exploit their workers, dump our garbage, rape their environment (they also improve the quality of life for many but there’s no question that a LOT of abuse and exploitation take place, as evidenced by numerous journalist stories); the United States, for all their economic and military might, are rotting from within – gun violence is way out of proportion to their population when compared to any other developed country, moral decay is evident everywhere, addictions of all kinds are rampant – they are our modern day Sodom and Gomorrah.
Fact: We are not good. We may take solace in believing that we are better than most, but evil runs through our veins. For us to take the moral high ground is enormously hypocritical. For us to take the role of shaping the world order is arrogant and patronizing. We have not earned the right to assume such a role. But we do so for one reason and one reason only:
Because we can. We have the might. And perhaps this is the ultimate message that James and Bush are giving us...”might makes right.”
R
James,
A question, do you feel we should be “democratizing” the Islamic, Arab, or any other worlds?
Of course, this is James’ and George Bush’s position all along. They take it upon themselves to change other people, change the internal makeup of other countries, change the world order, as if this were their God-given right, their destiny, their prerogative. Such arrogance! Such hubris! Such righteousness!
Separating the need to defend ourselves in some way (another topic) from terrorism and related threats, do you feel we have the right to go into another country and impose a political or other such system?
Turn the question around: Does another country (say, the former Soviet Union) have the right to go into our country and impose their political/economic/religious system? However, James would say that WE have the moral right because WE are good, WE are just, WE stand for freedom. While you and I may believe that we are good, isn’t that just a point of view? Aren’t we being arrogant and righteous?
Well, here’s another question: Are we good? Mind you, we aren’t all bad...we do stand for freedom, we are progressive socially and technologically. But this does not obviate the bad.
And the bad is legion: we rape our environment for the sake of economic growth; we interfere in the internal affairs of other nations through propping up puppet governments (Saddam is a fine example), through inciting rebellion (Nicaragua is a fine example), through all-out war (the Vietnam War is a fine example); our multinational corporations go into Third World countries and exploit their workers, dump our garbage, rape their environment (they also improve the quality of life for many but there’s no question that a LOT of abuse and exploitation take place, as evidenced by numerous journalist stories); the United States, for all their economic and military might, are rotting from within – gun violence is way out of proportion to their population when compared to any other developed country, moral decay is evident everywhere, addictions of all kinds are rampant – they are our modern day Sodom and Gomorrah.
Fact: We are not good. We may take solace in believing that we are better than most, but evil runs through our veins. For us to take the moral high ground is enormously hypocritical. For us to take the role of shaping the world order is arrogant and patronizing. We have not earned the right to assume such a role. But we do so for one reason and one reason only:
Because we can. We have the might. And perhaps this is the ultimate message that James and Bush are giving us...”might makes right.”
R
posted by Darkest Knight | 7:12 AM
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