Since the fall of the Soviet empire, America has taken on a rather quixotic nature. The last fifteen years have proven that our politicians and electorate alike are able to bury their respective heads in the sand with the best of the world's deluded. The most interesting of these fliers into fantasyland is our inability to recognize how much we tend to resemble what we supposedly despise.
The indicators are all around us. Take for example the Reverend Pat Robertson and his fatwas against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the Supreme Court, and the State Department. Robertson likes to believe he is a patriotic evangelical Christian, who wants a strong America to fight against Islamic fundamentalist teachings which inspire terrorists. What is his method of counteracting the vigilant evil of Muslim fanaticism? To issue declarations against perceived enemies, much like the radical Mullahs, Osama bin Laden, and others who issue attacks against our 'modern' society.
One would think that a man of Robertson's stature would have a little more rectitude, choosing his words and calls to action more carefully. But when it comes to evangelical Christianity, anything you do is okay as long as you don't live an alternative lifestyle and seek or perform abortions. This is especially true for the evangelical hierarchy, which tends to use inflamed speech to rally the faithful who've been lax in contributing their tithes. That Robertson and others like him are unable to see the corollary between their hate speech and that of those they seek to destroy is evidence of the holy malaise these folks walk around in.
The same goes for our president. It is both frightening and comical that George W. Bush's occupation of Iraq has created an opening for Shi'ite fundamentalism while his efforts to bring America into communion with Christian ethos has failed so miserably. While there are certainly aspects of the government which have taken on a more religious tone, we remain for the most part secular. In Iraq, Bush felt it necessary to depose the secular Saddam Hussein and his Ba'athist government in order to bring Iraqis closer to Islam. And the touted 'democracy' Bush's occupation was meant to bring now looks much like our own factionalized, highly polarized, and struggling between theocratic reform and secular values.
Article comments
1 - John Bil
Resembling what you despise maybe. 2/3's of the rest of the world would still kill to come here. America has many problems today that is for sure, but do we really have more problems than say under Johnson?
2 - Doug Hannan
2/3's of the rest of the world would still kill to come here.
Well then. There's nothing to worry about. I love they way you Americans cling to these nonsensical delusions as the ramparts collapse around you. Fact is the rest of the world can quite easily suck out your wealth without having to make the trip any more.
"The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century" spells all this out rather well actually.
By the way, frightfully sorry about all the cities you're losing right now. Not to suggest, of course, that there's anything to all this global warming hysteria. God no, that would be most premature.
3 - The Searcher
Doug:
I'm American and am sorry you don't seem to like Americans. Or perhaps it's the arrogance and hubris, the refusal to admit mistakes, the bullying, the attitude of being above the law.
It's a fact that no one can stay on top forever; Rome fell and so, I fear, shall we.
On another note: can you provide any details to support your assertion that these hurricanes were caused by global warming? I have an honest interest in this, as should everyone.
I have heard it said that the USA caused all this by polluting the atmosphere for well over a century, thereby increasing global warming, thereby increasing hurricane activity. Are there any studies which can provide hard data to support that this hurricane activity is atypical of normal cycles?
4 - Voltairean
Criticize and you don't like Americans. You are unpatriotic. Wow. Could anything be further from the truth? Being critical is a necessary and critical aspect of the Enlightenment principle of reason. It is what this country was founded on and what has allowed us to excel. Open critical dialog is perhaps the single greatest reason for American wealth and success today. On the other hand, shouting down dissent or critique as has become common place on the right, is just about as anti-constitution as one can get.
And while it is true that all countries that rise eventually fall, does it not make sense to try to promote and prolong something that has worked well? Most great empires fall for similar reasons such as greed, hubris, and a feeling of invicibility. Throw in cronyism and its detrimental affects and you have the current administation in a nutshell. In fact many of the great ideas of the great experiment that is American constitutional democracy are falling be the way side. For instance, checks and balances, writ of habeas corpus, and separation of church and state have all but dissappeared.
As far as hurricanes go, I do not believe it has been shown that global warming causes hurricanes. What is known is that hurricanes intensify in strength and duration over warm water. Global warming has caused ocean temperature to rise. As a result of warmer oceans hurricanes have become increasingly more powerful and last significantly longer.
Or perhaps, the overwhelming consensus of scientists are all wrong and it is just a coincidence that we have had 2 of the 5 strongest hurricanes on record along with one of the worst tsunamis ever and other extremely harsh weather including heat waves in Europe that killed thousands and large typhoons in China.
On the flip side, Exxon Mobile did post a profit of $10 billion for the last quarter and had record revenues of about $300 billion. Today, it is the highest valued country in the world having surpassed the likes of Microsoft and General Electric. Which is why all the tax incentives it will receive in the new energy bill make so much sense.
All of which supports the original post of how messed up the leadership and values of the country have become. Further, this flies smack in the face of the conservative ideology that prohibits handouts. Welfare is only a crime when it is for the poor. For the richest people in the world, it is business as usual. Aren't you one of these people Searcher?
Here is one of a million links:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0804_050804_hurricanewarming.html
5 - The Searcher
I was wondering when I'd see another illuminating comment from you, Voltairean.
Notice that I wrote that Doug doesn't "seem" to like Americans. Also, you're introducing the concept of patriotism into the discussion, not I (great straw man, you're getting better).
I appreciate your meteorological reasoning as well. I myself claim no expertise in that area, nor do I feel the need to engage in apologetics with regard to the industrial revolution and its long-term effects on the environment. In asking for hard data, I am not engaging in closet apologetics, I'm just genuinely curious.
Also, I do not support corporate welfare, or allowing those fat robber barons to freely pillage the retirement funds of the people on whose backs they reap their profits. Then again, nor am I in favor of minority quotas, nor of redistributing wealth.
Sorry, must dash, I'm off to play golf with Bill Gates and Ted Turner.
6 - voltairean
wait a second, you are advid supporter of president bush, no? then how are you not a supporter of corporate welfare? corporate profits - whether from graft, cronyism, welfare, war or natural disaster is certainly the most important plank of the bush administation. nothing else comes close. so while its easy to say you are against corporate welfare if I am correct about your support for Bush it hardly matters.
Its akin to a pro choice woman voting for bush and than complaining when the supreme court takes away the federal protection of a women's right to an abortion. She has no right to complain as is partially responsible for the situation. You must take the good and the bad with whom you throw your support behind.
As far as your comment regarding "seem" - isn't that a bit Bill Clinton of you? Forget semantics, why would you even think it in the first place? Why would it matter? even if he hated America would it not be better to hear his critique why and see if there is merit or suggestions on how to improve?
Per hurricanes, I never claimed to be an expert. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. And I did live in New Orleans for 4 years. Other than that I only know what I read. It seems pretty basic and I provided you with a link so Im not sure what you are complaining about. and i do not believe anyone lays the sole reason for global warming on president bush. but, there is no doubt that things have gotten much worse under his watch. for the first time in hundreds, if not thousands, of years the polar ice that melts in the artic during the summer did not rebound to normal levels in the winter. And they are expected this year to be worse. Another link:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0916-09.htm
hey, while you are playing golf with gates ask him what he thinks about the inheritance tax.
7 - Doug Hannan
Doug:
I'm American and am sorry you don't seem to like Americans.
Oh? What did I say to give you that idea? I just said Americans have a tendency to harbour certain nonsensical delusions. Here's another one for you. Any criticism is immediately construed as evidence that the source just "doesn't like Americans". Another "well then there's nothing to worry about, they just don't like us so they must be spouting nonsense" Believe me, I too cry for your beloved country.