It saddens me to see America in its current state. And it takes a great deal to bring about this particular emotion and this singular decision. I have lived a lot of years and seen, firsthand, how a country can be torn apart by a divisive war. But, this time, the division, I fear, is deeper, more contentious and more fractious. America, a great people, have been cut apart in a fault line approaching a critical depth and width. I am not sure we will ever be as strong as we once were. That overwhelming feeling of something truly great, possibly forever lost, is the reason for this very personal affection.
We are involved in yet another war where young men are dying and the American people don’t understand why. Some think they do and believe it a noble cause; some are equally confident in their belief but feel, with matching fervor, it is one man’s crusade and a useless Quixote-esque crusade. They are both right and they are both, sadly, very wrong. It is, as all wars ultimately are, an exercise in futility. Wars never solve anything. If history has taught us anything - and the lessons are always taught but poorly attended - today’s enemy is tomorrow’s ally. What seems right and reasonable instantly blurs when the bullet start flying and the blood starts to flow. The “fog of war” remains a term both descriptive and philosophical. War fogs both the minds of those in its midst and those at home, who vainly try to understand war’s horror and impact.
What troubles me is not that the country simply has differing opinions but that we are beginning that freefall into the unresolvable and unreconcilable chasm we have seen but a few times before. We are being slowly and irretrievably torn apart by our differences. And, this time, I can not imagine an end to it. It took us decades to recover our moral compass after the Viet Nam War and now we are on that heart-wrenching course, yet again. But I, for one, fear we may be lost in the political and cultural wilderness this time, perhaps, forever. The dogs of war are tearing at the gates and the gatekeepers are fighting among themselves.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Steve S
dietdoc, one side has wrapped their politics up in religion. That removes their politics from debate. How can rationality debate faith?
The entire debate process was broken down when people began to want political decisions made on Faith™.
And there is no compromise in a political debate when one side stems from religious interpretation. That side cannot compromise without compromising faith. I have said this here for over a year, there is no debate, there is no middle ground, when religion gets wrapped up in politics.
2 - Aaman
You will be missed, doc - sagacity and calm are a rare commodity.
Sail on
3 - Maurice
'lighten up Francis'
I agree with your sentiment but this is still a fun site with lots of entertaining posts and comments.
One of the commenters here said "mighty white of you". I am a black man that could have been offended by that old familiar epithet. I just consider the source and try not to take myself (or anyone else) too seriously.
I had noticed we hadn't heard from you in a while - don't think you wouldn't be missed.
4 - Temple Stark
You forgot the sheer stupidity angle of political debate SteveS.
I didn't know you felt so strongly about it dietdoc. Bummer - one less "sane" voice here.
5 - Mary K. Williams
DietDoc -
I can relate somewhat, if you want, email me (mkayw@aol.com)
Anyway, I have not previously read any of your posts, but now that I have, I see what a talent BC would lose if you left.
Reconsider?
6 - Tim Gebhart
I agree wholeheartedly. America no longer engages in political discourse, only name-calling and spewing hatred and venom. Sadly, the blogosphere is Exhibit 1 in the indictment and there are, in fact, BC members who deserve their own exhibit stickers.
Your rationale is, in fact, why my BC posts are limited to "the occasional innocent movie or CD [or book] review" and I moved my personal blog mostly away from politics.
Best wishes for the future.
7 - Dave
I'll admit I have not read you for very long but enjoyed your discourse nonetheless. Sorry to see you go. Hope your journey is bright and you finf balance!
Peace
8 - Eric Olsen
Ron, you are a sensitive soul, always have been. No one even has to read the comments, especially if they find them upsetting. I would say the comments are generally about 100% more civil than they were a year ago before we really started enforcing the rules.
Take a break, come back when you feel like it. That's a pretty normal pattern for a lot of people.
9 - Bennett
Dietdoc, as has been said by others here, you will be missed as one of the few sane voices, among the fanatical hourds.
I too find less and less energy to participate in the daily name calling and ugly slander of our country's leaders, by both sides of the aisle.
I wish you well, and may be joining you before too long. BC is a great place to learn about the world, so long as you limit yourself somehow to reading between the hate filled lines.
Peace to you.
10 - Dave Nalle
Sorry to see you go, DD. We need more voiced of reason around BC who can resist getting dragged down into circular partisan debate. The desire to hammer back at the brainless ideologues is seductive, and those who can resist it are vital as an anchor to draw us all back to a rational course.
Dave
11 - visualsimplicity
I feel you on your rationale and that's why I think that one of the best things to happen to BC was when politics was branched off into its own section. It allowed me to avoid it completely.
12 - Al Barger
At the risk of appearing an ass for reacting in a less than totally sympathetic manner, this underlying premise is NONSENSE: "Wars never solve anything. If history has taught us anything, today’s enemy is tomorrow’s ally." Wars in fact solve problems frequently, problems that can't be solved any other way.
WWII is the most obvious classic example. There was just absolutely nothing to do at that time but to destroy Germany and Japan. That definitely solved some BIG problems. Sure, they're good friends now- but only after being humbled and reduced to rubble. Tragic, but entirely necessary.
To be more agreeable, I agree with Steve back up in comment 1. A lot of the troubles with our current debate on terrorism and Iraq come from people who have a ridiculous religious faith that can't be reasoned with.
It takes various forms, starting with the ridiculous and patently untrue bromide that "War never solved anything." It carries on to total frenzied hatred of BusHitler, and heads off into anti-American pathologies that have little or no relation to reality.
In fact Dietdoc, my own no doubt totally wrong perception is that this post is basically a dishonest anti-war diatribe. Forgive me if I'm a bit paranoid, but you just slipped in that "War doesn't solve anything" nonsense, then went on to decry the lack of civility.
Poor tired, sad Grandpa. Better not tell him he's full of shit, or you'll be the big meanie. Better not argue with the irrational people- it'll upset Grandpa. Better just let them have their way. Ain't happening.
There's plenty to be said for and against our ongoing efforts to fight terrorism, and for and against the Iraq part of it. Get in the ring, or get out.
Just don't expect me to be culled by a cheap appeal to guilt.
13 - dietdoc
Al, thank for closing this thread and in an appropriate tone and for underlining my point so indelibly. I appreciate your honesty and for helping me make a semi-graceful and unassuming retirement.
Cheers,
Ron
14 - alienboy
Thanks Al, I suspect you have just proved his point, well done!
15 - Nancy
Way to go, Barger. I can believe you're some kind of elected official: you go for the cheap shot every time.
Sorry, doc. You'll be missed.
16 - gonzo marx
as one that has been known to light off at times..
let me say, that your "Voice" will indeed be missed, doc
more's the pity
Excelsior!
17 - Eric Berlin
Ron -- You're of course welcome back anytime with open arms. You'll be missed by many, as has been expressed.
18 - Al Barger
And thank you Alienboy et al for underscoring my point. My reply was civil and reasonable, but the response is basically to accuse me of being a no-good shit crazed hater rather than address anything that I actually said.
Other than just that ol' Al's a big meanie, do any of you lefties have an actual answer to my counterargument to the "war doesn't solve anything" business?
19 - Eric Berlin
Sure, Al, I'll answer: wars solve things via destruction and chaotic change and upheaval, sometimes to the greater good, sometimes not.
But "wars solve things" doesn't justify any war out of hand.
20 - Al Barger
Right Eric, wars don't necessarily solve anything. Indeed, they tend to cause more problems rather than less. WWII righteous and necessary- Vietnam, horribly ill conceived and uselessly destructive. It behooves us to be skeptical of the use of military force- but not simply naysayers.
SOMETIMES war is the only thing that will do the job- but not usually. I just vociferously object to categorically dismissing the option. That'll just leave US sitting ducks.
21 - Nancy
The pity of war is, as mentioned by a character of Tolkien's, that one can die by a sword even if one doesn't wield one; sometimes the only way to stop aggression is to meet it with greater aggression, as in WWII. However, that's not the subject here.
22 - Lisa McKay
Poor tired, sad Grandpa. Better not tell him he's full of shit, or you'll be the big meanie. Better not argue with the irrational people- it'll upset Grandpa. Better just let them have their way. Ain't happening.
You have an odd grasp of civility, Al.
23 - Eric Olsen
I don't think this is a veiled anti-war piece, I think it's a piece geared toward self-persuasion built around an all-or-nothing dichotomy
24 - Al Barger
Lisa, I don't see what's uncivil in my response whatsoever. Being civil doesn't mean that I won't call bullshit when I smell it.
Again, I recognize that this might partially just be my own warped perspective, but the presentation strikes me in my own subjective perception as a kind of emotional intimidation. How could anyone be so mean as to call out poor Grandpa when he just wants peace? Just let it go, m'kay?
No, I say. Defense of the country is too important to be run by this kind of emotional appeal, or by the utterly ridiculous Cindy Sheehan spectacle on the other end of that spectrum, etc.
Also, Dear Leader, could you expand on the "self-persuasion" theme? Ron certainly did throw down an "all or nothing dichotomy" with "Wars never solve anything." I beg to differ, and express rather more nuance.
25 - Eric Olsen
I meant a dichotomy about the site: it isnt' all or nothing, you don't have to buy the whole thing or go away. You can pick and choose to interact with it in any number of ways including ignoring comments completely. One does not have to toss the virtual baby out with the digital bathwater