I am probably somewhat of a novelty today in that I am the direct descendent of two families which have served in every war ever fought by America including the Civil War but, I am proud to say that that lineage does not include the current war in Iraq. To clarify just a little, beginning with me, my father, my grandfather, (my grandmother), my great grandfather, my great great grandfather, and my great great great grandfather have all served in the American military back to and including the revolutionary war. I have always been terribly proud of this military tradition but what I have always found most striking is that as my family would relate their stories to me about my family and their military experiences was the unwavering support that they all received from their friends, families and communities. It was that incredible sense of a need to sacrifice for family and country that was so obvious in their voices.
I remember long conversations with my grandparents about World War I, the depression, and World War II and thinking to myself how complete and absolute the sense of community was during those conflicts and struggles. My grandmother would tell me stories of how they would have war bond drives and collect scrap metal for the war effort and how so many families had victory gardens to supplement their food and income and to support the war effort. They would tell me of the rationing and how it was hard but worth it because they knew it was all for America.
I also remember my grandfather telling me stories of the great depression and of families helping families to survive and I remember all of my grandparents telling me stories of how they admired President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the new deal and the creation of the social security system and how they thought that this was real America and real “community” taking care of real people.
Now as I reflect on these stories and the history of my family I look around and ask myself, where has the sense of community, family, and friends gone? It has indeed vanished and we are, I believe, the worse for it. We have become a self absorbed, selfish, intolerant and arrogant nation of whiners. We are losing our greatest generation and with them our deeper understanding of hardship and sacrifice. But it is not just that we, as a nation, have become so ego centric but it is also that we no longer have any kind of leadership to help us focus on what is important as a nation and to give us that sense of purpose.
If we go back in American history and look at the leaders of our nation at the times of greatest crisis we find real leadership. Beginning with Washington and moving on to Jefferson, and Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and even John Kennedy during the Cuban missile crisis, we always had leaders with the moral courage and strength of character to guide the nation. We have not had that type of leadership for a very long time and now when we are at one of the most critical junctures in our nation’s history we have a complete void in moral courage, strength of character, and leadership.
What I would consider some of the most important traits demonstrated by Americas leaders throughout our history is a sense of honesty and fair play and a commitment to sacrificing on the part of “all” Americans for the good of the nation. I do not believe that the current president, administration, House and Senate Leadership possess one iota of these traits. In my mind it is incongruous and unconscionable for a leader to tell a nation to go out and shop and spend, while developing and implementing policies so obviously slanted to further enriching and giving incredible tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and at the same time calling on middle class and poor America to sacrifice for the nation with their children’s blood while giving up their civil liberties in the name of security. What kind of warped logic is this? What kind of immoral course have we been set on by this misguided administration?
It saddens my heart to know that the military forces to which my family has so willingly given themselves for generations is now being so abused and misused in such an illicit manner. I have written this before and I will write it yet many more times but this is not what the American military force was created for nor is it the honest purpose for which I believe it should be used. They are not being used as the founding fathers had envisioned but abused as the current administration sees fit. This is not about liberty and democracy in the Middle East or the world but about one mans ego and aspirations and the egos and aspirations of his cronies and wealthy cohort. It is not about the security of the nation and this is evidenced by the ever shifting justifications spun and spewed by this administration. These are the reasons that the American people are not supporting the war and the reasons that others believe if they put a magnetic yellow ribbon on the back of their SUV they are supporting the war and the troops. That is not support. That is not sacrifice and that is not patriotism. That is superficial eye wash mixed with sick consumerism.
I believe that, when used properly, the American military ‘can be’ one of the most powerful tools in an American president’s foreign affairs tool box. The key phrase here is ‘when used properly’. Sooner or later a bully always gets his comeuppance. We cannot go around the world attempting to install Jeffersonian democracies on cultures and peoples we do not even understand. And we certainly can’t do it with the brute force of the American military. That only gets soldiers killed and peoples, cultures, and countries pissed off. The United States can however, through the use of diplomacy, allies, and understanding bring about meaningful change in the world.
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Diplomacy is not about making war but about making peace and the Bush administration doesn’t have a clue about diplomacy and that I believe is obvious by the tremendous chaos that this administrations actions have brought about in the world. It is certainly imperative that when a country is assaulted the way the United States was assaulted on September 11, 2001that the response is sudden and swift aggressive action to bring justice to those who are guilty of the assault but that response should not include preemptive wars on countries not involved in the assault. Unfortunately that is precisely what the Bush administration has done to the detriment of the nation. We now have a Muslim world community agitated and openly and aggressively hostile toward the United States as a direct result of this countries response to 9/11. They are not angry at the United States for invading Afghanistan where the terrorist attacks originated but because we invaded Iraq and neglected to treat the rest of the Muslim world with respect.
You do not lead Mr. Bush you bully. You show no courage Mr. Bush you show greed. I have no doubt but that my family, like so many others, hangs their heads in shame at your dishonorable actions Mr. Bush. I weep at the graves of the soldiers who have sacrificed so much for your dishonesty.
Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.
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