Dwight - 05 September 2008 03:12 PM
Jose31V - 05 September 2008 02:33 PM
Dwight - 05 September 2008 02:06 PM
Did FDR “love his country” when he put together the New Deal? Many righties think that it was a bad deal, but the question is, did he love his country when he did it and TRY to make it better?
Did Lincoln “love his country” when he decided that the Southern States were not going to alter or abolish the Union, no matter what the Declaration of Independence said?
Lincoln and FDR used radical government action to try to save America during extraordinarily difficult periods of American history. I assume they each loved America very deeply. I’m not suggesting that people who advocate using government to improve America do not love it. I am saying that people who condition their affection for America on whether America adopts certain policies/actions do not love America, regardless of whether they think that they love America. Their love is essentially transactional: Do this, and I will love you in return. This kind transaction, by definition, is not love.
But the problem is that often the conversation goes like this.
O says “I want to change America.
x says, “America is fine the way it is.”
O says,"No it’s not, it should be better.”
x says, “You do not love your country.”
I don’t think that you can apply the same rules of loving a person, whom you accept and generally do not try to change, to loving your country, which even, or especially McCain says he wants to change a lot. He has the immunity of all his scars gotten in the service of his country, scars which as he pointed out, Obama does not have.
Bottom line: there is more than one way to love your country. Righties insist on the old fashioned way, a kind of my country right or wrong...and she’s never wrong (unless maybe a lefty is at the helm). Lefties...here’s the kind of country we SHOULD have, a better one (unless a lefty is at the helm). Neither view contains nearly the whole truth, but then, what else is new?
Fair enough. This is why I generally tend to stay from intentions as opposed to consequences of specific policy proposals. I oppose Obama’s candidacy, because I think that his proposals will have deleterious effects on America’s foreign affairs and economy, as well as the liberty of her citizens, and I think McCain will do a better job. However, I can’t help but notice certain aspects of Obama that I find deeply disconcerting.
Obama is an enigma. Furthermore, he doesn’t seem to want us to know who he is. In his acceptance speech, he stipulated to McCain’s patriotism and demanded in return that we stipulate to his. Why did he do this? Why can’t we ask the question? It seems to me that Obama wears a mask that he presents to the public, and he wants to keep us at arm’s length. However, every time that the mask has slipped, I didn’t like what I saw: His wife’s many remarks, Reverend Wright, the silly flag pin thing, his association with Ayers, and his attempts to prevent public disclosure of his activities in the Annenberg matter. Compare this with McCain’s performance last night, when he essentially said, I want to be president because I love America. And I love America so much, that I’m willing to bare my soul to you. It’s a very stark contrast. McCain’s show of trust makes me want to trust him, while Obama’s mistrust makes me suspicious of him.
