Posted on 10/26/2002 12:58:13 PM PDT by bluesagewoman
Are Peaceniks Anti-American?
This morning was chilly and dreary, in more ways than just the weather. Though most of the peaceniks were gone to the national protests, those who were left behind were the more obnoxious and narrow-minded of the group. Upon arrival we were greeted by the peacenik in the tie-dyed shirt with “Good morning, warmongers.” DogRobber responded with, “Good morning, peacenik idiot.” Not the best comeback, but heart-felt regardless.
The peacenik group had an unusual addition, a local physician who set up shop with two chairs and a sign reading, “dialog.” He is a pacifist and wanted the experience of engaging in “dialog” with people who did not share his view. I believe he had an interesting personal journey.
The peaceniks and the kind doctor took offense at the sign we had that stated that not all Missourians were “anti-American.” The question arises, at least in my mind, is pushing a socialist agenda, demanding no action in the face of aggressive and irrational dictators, and once again dividing our country in the face of evil, anti-American? Notice the word is “anti-American,” and not un-American. Lord knows dissent, protesting, and personal opinions are as American as Boston tea parties.
*“George Orwell attributed pacifists' contrarian arguments as a manifestation of their separation from the roots of the common culture of their country and in particular the resolve of their own governments, and the people, to resist aggression. ‘The average intellectual of the [pacifist] Left believed, he wrote, "that the war was lost in 1940, that the Germans were bound to overrun Egypt in 1942, that the Japanese would never be driven out of the lands they had conquered, and that the Anglo-American bombing offensive was making no impression on Germany. He could believe these things because his hatred of the British ruling class forbade him to admit that British plans could succeed. There is no limit to the follies that can be swallowed if one is under the influence of feelings of this kind.’”
“Orwell clearly had neither patience for such follies, nor any doubts of the need for democracies to be prepared to use force in their defense, pre-emptive or not. "Civilization," he said, ‘rests ultimately on coercion. What holds society together is not the policeman but the goodwill of common men, and yet that goodwill is powerless unless the policeman is there to back it up. . . . Since pacifists have more freedom of action in countries where traces of democracy survive, pacifism can act more effectively against democracy than for it.’”* (Taken from below link)
Orwell, obviously, was an anti-totalitarian and sounded a warning against totalitarian fascism in his book 1984. Today’s peace protesters fail to understand the difference between the vicious coercion of totalitarianism, and the use of force by the forces of social order in opposing oppressive governments. At today’s FReep one militant protester declared that Dogrobber’s photography was “oppressing” him and was an attempt to intimidate him; a reflection of that inability to discriminate between the violence of evil and the use of force to control evil. Until pacifists and ant-war protesters can develop the ability to look beyond the simplistic understanding of war and peace of “kill-bad, not kill-good,” they will forever doom us to dealing with evil at the 11th hour when the sword will be at our collective throats. Witness Neville Chamberlain and the Munich Appeasement. Witness the Yalta conference that allowed 40 years of Stalinist control of the Eastern Block. Witness the Paris Accords that ushered in the purge of South Vietnam and Pol Pot’s butchery.
Now is not the time to be just the silent witness of our age. Speak out against evil and for its destruction. Do not let the peacenik groups assist the tyrants of our times with divisions, loss of resolve, and an inability to identify evil.
*From (earlier article link)
Would you feel intimidated looking at this sweet mug?
Another earth-shattering observation from the peacenik intelligentsia.
Bret is enjoying the quiet responses to his sign.
Bluesage at it again.
All dressed up and no one to talk to?
I’m oppressed, dammit, I’m oppressed, I tell you! OPPRESSED!
It hasn’t changed a bit.
Is history repeating itself, in a very strange way?
From their thin but magnificant book, "The Lessons of History", chapter XI History and War:
"War is one of the constants of History, and has not diminished with civilization or democracy. In the last 3,421 years of recorder history only 268 have seen no war."
Peace is the exception or anomaly.
Are there any of Will's other fans out there in the cyberether?
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