Jennifer McKenzie
Romance--Boy meets girl. Romantic Suspense--Boy meets girl with dead bodies.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
A Very Rare Political Rant
In honor of July 4th, America's Independence Day, I'm going to rant about a few things.
The first thing is that we're NOT a democracy. We're a republic. Most just think that's splitting hairs, but I the founding fathers did not. Hamilton and Jefferson faced off over this issue of popular vote vs. representative vote for years after our Declaration of Independence. And if you think Hamilton was a rich jerk who didn't want poor, common people having government, take a look at how easily we, as the public, are swayed by negative campaigning. Oh, we say we don't like it, but we are influenced by it. I'm no better, believe me.
One hundred years ago, our country was banging the drums of expansion and superiority. Not just the politicians, all of us. Americans. In this spirit of aggression, we went to war with the Philippines. There were reasons and they made sense for the times, but our arrogance would leave a mark there for decades and distract us from the real threat. Germany.
This period of aggression was followed in our country by our usual post skirmish guilt and exhaustion. By the time Germany's threat to Europe was clear, our attitude had slid into isolation. We were bitter, angry at the losses we'd sustained in a war that became confusing. Does this sound familiar?
This country is a great country. We have some of the most generous, kind impulses as a whole that show in our collective efforts to help our fellow man. But we are stuck in a pattern. When we see, really see, a threat we go after it with zeal and strength. However, if the results of our actions require lengthy commitment, we tend to recoil on ourselves and isolate.
I've been reading Barbara Tuchman's "The Proud Tower" which documents the fifty years before World War I. This pattern is set in the American psyche. I wonder if that generation had the same violent reaction to the word "Philippines" that our generation has to "Vietnam". I am amazed at some of the statements that politicians were able to put out for public consumption back in those days. There was no mealy mouthed excuses or politically correct speeches. Our politicians back then were completely up front about their opinion. They had the right to control Cuba or the Philippines because they were a superpower. And for the most part the people agreed.
One thing that changed in this century is our method of withdrawal. In the Philippines, we came to a stalemate. No one really won and in the end, we obtained a fierce ally against Japan. In Vietnam, we left. Even in the first Iraq war, we stopped short due to public opinion, and many who supported us in that conflict, were murdered for being pro American.
I know that the Iraq war has it's detractors and supporters. I don't care. Whether we're there for political reasons or truly heroic reasons isn't important to me anymore. We're there. And what we do there will be our history. The politicians can talk all they want and pussy foot around because it's close to a big elections but I only want one thing. I want our troops to look back and say they were proud to be there. I want them to have the same pride in their work that our men from World War I and II had. I never want them to say the things my father said about Korea. The bitter taste of a job left undone doesn't fade in our soldiers. They deserve a competent government and a population that won't spit on them when they come home.
I'm not for any politician that's come out of the woodwork yet. None of them have been the troops voice. Withdrawal or stay the course, it's the men and women who do the work that need our vote.
This Independence Day, I hope that the price they're paying, the horrible things they're seeing and all the time they're giving won't end up being reviled. They are our representatives to other countries, our brightest and best. I'm voting for them.
My Website
Home
Blog
Biography
News
Links
Bookshelf
Coming Soon
Contact
My Books
Coming Soon
Favorite Blogs
MySpace Place
My Picture Blog
Carrie's Blog
Dayna Hart's Blog
Diva Crystal's Blog
Novelty Girls
Deadliest Reports
Diva Shelli's Blog
Diva Loribelle's Blog
Diva Sela's Blog
Diva Laura's Blog
15 Minute Date Blog
Evil Editor's Blog
Writer's Widower
Glamorous Redneck
Jenna's Blog
Paula Graves Blog
Stacy's Sensibly Insane Blog
Diva Lisa's Blog
Diva Diana's Blog
Tracy Montoya's Blog
Diva Babe's Blog
Julie Cohen's Blog
Nathan Bransford's Blog
Toni Sue Versteeg's Blog
Favorite Sites
Harlequin Romance
The Manhattan Transfer Website
Robert Cray Website
Romance Writers of America
NASCAR
NCWSA
CMT
Whiskey Creek Press Torrid Romance
Larsen-Pomada Agency
Click to join SweeterRomanticNotions
Thursday Thirteen Sites
About Me
Name:: Jennifer McKenzie Location:: California
Archives
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
Credits
image by suzi ninemillimetre
design by maystar
powered by blogger