Posted by
Glenn Flowers on Friday, June 05, 2009 7:10:08 AM
I wish to have your opinions on a subject both dear and feared to all of us. I believe the malady that afflicted voters last November is the same as what has infected the America haters, the "give me" crowd, and, especially Obama, his wife, and all of his associates, embraced or abandoned. It is as fundamental as the inalienable rights of man and that which has made America the nation she is, or was, and can still be.
America was founded on what major principal? The Declaration of Independence tells the reasons Americans set themselves apart from a king. It was in every pamphlet, editorial, letter to of from, and was the main subject when the contract for the federal government was written. In one, all encompassing word, America’s claim to fame, the fertilizer for the tree of liberty, was, and still is individualism. The inalienable rights of the individual, especially, most importantly, their right to own property and to control that property, were and are the bedrock of America’s greatness. It is the American, the head of the family, the business owner, the mom and dad worker bees, that are each individually responsible for the America of today.
But we, having been raised, mainly, as a religious people, see ourselves as faulty, no, depraved. And down through the decades we, as forthright and honest people, have had a tough time mentally squaring those two in our minds. The depraved, but exceptional and hard working individuals, having the nerve to claim theirs is a nation of values and morals, is just to much at odds to each other to seem real. It would seem that these honest, sincere folks have a point, and that it eats at them, and Obama, all their lives, promoting a putrification of the inner self resulting, eventually, in the bitterness we see, and the aching of their hearts that is so obvious.
The reasoning behind their quandary is simple. Since before all of our births, for over one hundred years and more, America has been known as the nation that acts as savior of the world, the hero of the oppressed wherever they be, the first in the space race and technology, feeding the world. When disaster hits anywhere, it’s America that floats her city on a boat up to their shores and gives all they have to those who need it. America has invented, built, exported, and given away so much, and has never even run slightly short for her own needs. Yes, America is exceptional. The shining city on the hill.
So what’s wrong with that? It isn’t wrong, in and of itself, because America is a country of Americans. But that idea, America, has come to mean sitting back and watching her rise to ever more lofty heights, and not having too much to do with it, thanks to our elected officials in Washington. America is great, but some of the people don’t feel so great. Why? Because they know that they have not been responsible for it. They can’t sit back and just watch our greatness grow and have any pride in it.
Except for those of us who were raised by the previous, patriotic generation, who have taken advantage of our opportunities, worked hard all our lives paying a mortgage, raising a family, and coming to an inner truce with God and our sinful nature. We can feel the pride in being a self provider, and feel it we do. And we make no apologies for being proud. Those who have lived on the doll, or have taken all that America is for granted, or who know nothing greater than themselves that they can put their faith in, can not perceive the reason the rest of us have for being so cocky. They are Americans, but they know nothing of indivdualism and, therefore, they are of the same mind as the proletariats of the former USSR, and can’t fathom our greatness as anything but false.
These people have lost their sense of individualism, if they ever had any, because they have failed to do anything about their own interests. It has become so easy to wait for America to do it all and not have to worry about it. This reign of inner loathing has been cheered on by the degradation of our value system, the decline of our public schools, no parental authority or even concern, and it becomes its own firestorm, creating an ever self-perpetuating downward spiral of individual achievement, and a welling up of disgust and enmity for themselves and those who have any pride in themselves or the fruited plain, or faith in anything godlike.
Obama is the poster boy for a lack of individual accomplishment. Elite schools until college, a radical and worldly mother, influenced by Frank M. Davis and his drunken, communist poetry of collectivism, radical associates influencing radical decisions, rich socialist elitists funding him, politicians backing him. It is no wonder Obama has no feelings for himself or this country. He has never known any pride or sense of self-worth from his life. He has been taught that Americans go around conceited and cocky and have no real reason to do so.
They have, he thinks, made any and all of their wealth on the backs of the poor, downtrodden workers, and have this "more exceptional than any other" attitude that allows us to torture, attack, lie to, steal from, and subjugate those like himself, for the false choice of real patriotism.
"Snobs. Fools! I’ll teach them how the world really is!" is his thought process.
"America has succeeded all together," he is sure of it. That is collectivism. He refuses to see the fact that it IS the individual, the proud to be an American individual that keeps America great and growing strong.
"It could not," he muses, "be the efforts of single, self-motivated and self-respecting citizens. They don’t have the power to make any country exceptional. Not single citizens. They must join in the common cause. They must learn to have faith in, and take care of each other. It is the whole, not the one, who is America."
Where have we heard that before?
Glenn Flowers