Gordon Sinclair
"THE AMERICANS"
originally broadcast June 5, 1973
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Posted on 01/06/2007 9:32:44 AM PST by GMMAC
U.S. deserves respect
By MICHAEL COREN
Toronto Sun
Saturday, January 6, 2007
It was impossible not to see the obvious parallels between the deaths of despot Saddam Hussein and democratic Gerald Ford.
The former was surrounded by insults and hatred, the latter by love and praise. Yet Saddam had decades to make the world a better place, Ford merely a few years.
It's important that we don't merely attribute this to circumstance, accident or country. Because while the hyena of Iraq may have been particularly repugnant, there is hardly a leader anywhere in the Arab world whose death would be mourned beyond the fanatical mob.
Things are hardly any better in Africa. Russia is similarly lacking and even Western Europe tends now to be lead by self-centred mediocrities. These people, whether they are elected or whether they steal power, are not produced in a political vacuum. Countries generally receive the leaders they deserve.
And since its foundation and especially since the beginning of 20th century the United States of America has invariably been on the side of right against wrong, light against darkness, good against evil and moral against immoral. Its warriors, politicians, agents and leaders have stood and, if need be, died for the grand and noble concepts and virtues of the human condition.
President Ford was not great. Nor were John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon or Jimmy Carter. But they spoke for greatness. Not because of, but in spite of their faults, they represented glory. Not in spite of, but because of its roaring magnitude, the United States represents glory.
Which does not, of course, mean that every aspect of the country's foreign and domestic policy is correct or that it hasn't committed crimes in pursuit of its own interests. That's what nation-states do. What Canada does. It would be suburban and small-minded to expect anything else.
But even in its errors the United States tends to be more delicious than most countries in their success. Behind the withdrawal from Vietnam, for example, was an attempt to halt murderous Communism. Vietnam fell but Marxism and its obscene consequences gained little else in the region.
The war in Iraq is not a success, no matter what Washington's strongest supporters claim. But while most of the Arab world condemned Saddam Hussein for a generation, none of them were prepared to spend a dollar or risk a life to remove the tyrant from power.
The same applies to what critics like to see as a quintessentially American loudness or even vulgarity. In fact it's unabashed enthusiasm. Of course it can annoy but at its heart it shows the compelling vulnerability or trusting freshness of the most benign super power in world history.
Greatness inevitably provokes envy and dislike. Yet even here there is testimony to the American triumph. America's greatest critics are almost always American. Foreigners whine, like petulant schoolboys with running noses. Angry Americans have the confidence and liberation of being American.
Nowhere is the misunderstanding of the United States more obvious than in Canada. We scream at mummy and kick daddy in the shins, knowing that it won't hurt them very much and, most importantly, that they'll never get seriously angry with us.
America still stands tall, smiling at the brat but also protecting it from its enemies. As it does most of the world. As for the lack of gratitude, it's used to it by now.
Gordon Sinclair
"THE AMERICANS"
originally broadcast June 5, 1973
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PING!
BTTT!
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Thanks for the ping, xmission!
What a nice article. Thanks for the ping, fanfan.
Excellent find, pro-American sentiment in foreign press is a rare commodity. Less-rare in Canada, thank goodness, but still an uncommon thing.
It's also very true. I'm a US citizen working for a Canadian company in the US, I travel to Ontario a lot. While there is the occasional moonbat, usually young white college students (just like the US), the majority of Canadians are just like Americans. Proud, freedom-loving, successful, and compassionate. Canadians ARE our best and most loyal friends, regardless of the Quebecois and leftist Can. media efforts at changing that.
I'm of the thought that most Americans are just getting tired of everyone thinking we are the bad guy even when we are trying to be the good guy, and the reason I think that is from watching how people vote. Not all Americans, but the minority is growing into a majority each and every day.
The rest of the World seems less and less willing to fight for right with us and even strong allies such as Britan and Canada seem to support us less out of conviction and more out of habit.
I sure hope I'm wrong.
I'm not too sure about the caption on that picture.
But, from my viewpoint, during the last 6 years and probably more, there has not been a better ally and friend to the U.S. than Australia. Canada might come in somewhere in the first ten.
What a nice post - thank you.
Well, I certainly appreciate the kind words my friend. Don't let my comment make you feel I don't.
The problem with your above statement is we now have many people in this country that don't even read or understand the U.S. Constitution much less are willing to defend and preserve it. Unfortunately most are more interested now in getting the coolest new IPOD accessory and who wins American Idol this week.
They hear Katie Couric tell us how much the world hates America because we are in the Middle East because we are bullying innocent Muslims. That is all they need to hear to believe it as fact. This group grows larger every day and you can tell it just by looking at the votes every election.
I hope and pray those that support a decent and safe world can continue to depend on the United States in the future, but judging by what I see and hear from the people around me every day I have my doubts. I hear many young people say they wouldn't ever disrupt their lives and go to war for this country or any other and I believe they are becoming the norm and vote to avoid and chance of ever having to do just that.
BIG Australian thumbs up deserved.
If America survived this treasonous blowhard ...
... she'll easily survive smarmy little Katie Couric.
(personally, I think Dan Rather was worse than either)
Seriously, do a little Googling & you'll find people saying almost word-for-word what you've just said back in 1970.
LOL...
I'm not sure we did! ;-)
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