The Star Spangled Banner is played before every major sporting event that is held in the United States. To most of us, the song provides a brief moment to reflect that we are citizens of the greatest country in the world, and the sacrifices that were made in order to achieve that distinction. This is especially true now, when our soldiers are deployed overseas in a life and death struggle which all too often ends in the later. There is almost a palpable feeling of emotion that ripples through crowds and participants as the last line is sung, followed by cheers and jubilation. “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave” This moment represents patriotism and makes me proud to be on of the lucky ones that can call this country home.
There have been Empires which have dominated the global landscape and influenced culture and policy throughout history. The Greeks and Romans are two examples whose cultural and social impact matched or surpassed their military prowess. Even though these great powers technically met their demise with military defeats, it can be argued that their actual downfall was caused from within. Internal political bickering and chaos led to an internal collapse which made military defeat all but an inevitability. This is the concept that is now resonating a familiar tone and has me worried about our future.
Maybe in a perfect world we would all be liberals. We clearly don’t live in one. We live in an era where Islamic extremist believe Jews should be wiped off the face of the Earth and the US represents all evil in the world. Al Qaeda attacked us on our own soil, and both the North Korean and Iranian governments are defying the world community by proceeding towards nuclear capability. It is a time that calls for decisive action and resolve on our governments part. Instead we debate and second guess. We reanalyze the past. We now live in a society where we don’t rebuild the WTC because we fight with the insurance companies whether it was 1 attack or 2. Where widows hold up construction because they are unhappy with designs. After 911 we vowed to fight terrorism wherever it existed. Regardless of cost or how long it would take. 8 years later we are pulling out of Iraq, a don’t have a clear plan in Afghanistan. Instead of tackling these issues head on our Congress debates topics as same sex marriage and public health care options. Meanwhile our troops need reinforcements in the field. Just because the N.Y Times stopped headlining our troops deaths on their front page after Obama took office, doesn’t mean it stopped happening.
The rest of the world senses our weakness. They attack the dollar as the world’s currency. They hold us hostage with oil. They use our morality as a tool against us. They chide us for killing civilians while they kill peacekeepers and liberators. They hide bombs on children and in their anal cavities while they demand apologies for our collateral damage. We play into their hands. We now treat war like a basketball game where the other team is allowed to foul at will, but we must adhere to the rules. Liberals truly believing in their perfect world thought Obama would be the savior. The world would be one big happy family again. Reality is showing them different. Nothing has changed. Our enemies smell more weakness. They grow bolder. The messiah was sent home without his Olympics and Iranian cooperation. We are even more divided and inept in their eyes. We are imploding from within.
Politics and war are dirty businesses. People and soldiers die. They give the ultimate sacrifice that we can never truly repay. All they ask is that their cause be true and it not be in vain. I say it is. Our way of life is most moral and fair. We don’t seek world domination, or more territory. We just are protecting our own interests, like any world power would. There is no shame in it. The end justifies the means. I don’t want to go down like Rome. Their Senate debating while the barbarians stood at the gate. Lets do what it takes to win the fight. We were willing to drop 2 atomic bombs on Japan to save our own causalities. We had resolve that we were right. Shame on us if we make those soldiers deaths in Afghanistan be lost in vain. We are the land of the free and home of the brave. If we are going to collapse after 200 odd years we should go out the way we came in. Bold and willing to die for our way of life. Not divided and weak. Lets go out with our boots on.
-Six
