Is the defense of liberty worth the cost?
"Today we are engaged in conflicts that are again testing whether or not our country believes that the defense of liberty is worth the cost," Donald Rumsfeld, 8/39/06
Today, one of the big questions is do we really believe as a nation, a people, a culture, that the defense of liberty worth the cost? Between the press, popular cultural icons, and an attitude that picked up the viewpoint, "Blame America First," it seems hard to know if this is true any more.
I wonder how many of us would stand up and join Patrick Henry in agreement with "Give me liberty or give me death?" Or how many people really acknowledge that there are people out there, willing to kill us not for what we do, or what we as individuals believe, but because we are the infidel.
The forced "conversion" of the two Fox reporters should show us the writing on the wall.
The recent plot by British citizens of Pakistani ethnicity should show us that it has little to do with what you think about the fate of the Palestinians, where you stand about the war in Iraq, or how much you consider what Hezbollah does as justified. You are still the enemy, still counters on a checkerboard where every man, woman and child is fair game. The media may talk like America is the villian, but compared to what these people want to do, to make us chess pieces on their struggle for power and control makes one wonder just what the thinking behind the blame America game is.
The Long War is here, and you are a player whether you want to be or not.
The real question is: do you concede or think that the ideals of liberty are worth standing up for. Until we make up our minds about that, we are truly fair game for those who would exploit us. Patrick Henry once said, "Give me liberty or give death." In reality, we may not have a choice. Death as a culture, or liberty. We will end up with one or the other, even if by not choosing.
Today, one of the big questions is do we really believe as a nation, a people, a culture, that the defense of liberty worth the cost? Between the press, popular cultural icons, and an attitude that picked up the viewpoint, "Blame America First," it seems hard to know if this is true any more.
I wonder how many of us would stand up and join Patrick Henry in agreement with "Give me liberty or give me death?" Or how many people really acknowledge that there are people out there, willing to kill us not for what we do, or what we as individuals believe, but because we are the infidel.
The forced "conversion" of the two Fox reporters should show us the writing on the wall.
The recent plot by British citizens of Pakistani ethnicity should show us that it has little to do with what you think about the fate of the Palestinians, where you stand about the war in Iraq, or how much you consider what Hezbollah does as justified. You are still the enemy, still counters on a checkerboard where every man, woman and child is fair game. The media may talk like America is the villian, but compared to what these people want to do, to make us chess pieces on their struggle for power and control makes one wonder just what the thinking behind the blame America game is.
The Long War is here, and you are a player whether you want to be or not.
The real question is: do you concede or think that the ideals of liberty are worth standing up for. Until we make up our minds about that, we are truly fair game for those who would exploit us. Patrick Henry once said, "Give me liberty or give death." In reality, we may not have a choice. Death as a culture, or liberty. We will end up with one or the other, even if by not choosing.
posted by Knitting a Conundrum at
1:21 PM
1 Comments:
Another fella from around then said,
"Those who would trade liberty for safety deserve neither." In the name of safety we've allowed ourselves to give up too many freedoms. People are being observed without warrants, incarcerated without trial and sentenced without a finding of guilt. Saying the government is wrong is not anti-American if the government is actually wrong. Heck even if the government is right, saying they're wrong is right. Clinton bombed bin Laden in 1998 during the Lewinsky scandal and we all thought he was wagging the dog. If we had supported him instead, he might have killed Osama three years before the Twin Towers fell.
The question isn't whether the defense of liberty is worth the cost. The question is how is liberty being defended?
By
Melas, at 3:14 PM
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