From: (No Email available)

Date: 2004-10-17 16:37:16

Comment:

After reading several pages on this site brimming over with acid-tinged self-righteous litanies of jingoistic hate-mongering from both sides of the political mudpit; after being subjected to countless assertions that America is the "Greatest Nation on Earth" because we keep the world free (or other such nonsense) followed by foul and loathsome epithets hurled at anyone who feels that freedom should include the right to have a differing opinion; after reading dozens of inaccurate interpretetions (from both sides)of world events clenched in partisan fists and foisted as some sort of justification for possessing incredibly closed minds and tacit entitlement to tell everyone outside the mental doorlock to go fuck themselves -  individually or collectively; I can only state that I for one do not have all the answers, and I am willing to admit that.

However, I do have a conscience and that conscience tells me that the slogan "Freedom is on the March" is tragically ironic, and that there is a fundamental problem with the current American world view.

Regardless of the horribly stereotyped and nationalistic slurs showered upon those international posters brave enough to try and have a say on this board, other nations have valid and intelligent contributions to make to the world. They are not lackeys who exist simply to consume our goods and enforce our politcal agenda while secretly wishing they could be us. To make such assertions is laughably narcissistic and only helps solidify the stereotype of "Ugly Americans" that we have given to ourselves through our decades-old policies of myopic aggression and general disregard for the opinion of the world community.

To further wrap the political argument in a religious shroud only occludes the issues further, and again is terribly misplaced. How can one claim rational objectivism and resort to subjective religious rhetoric as proof of an argument? Especially when those supposedly morally-based retorts are so blatantly immoral? The militant Christian posts on this board do not exactly scream "love thy neighbor" or "turn the other cheek." They only scream "Do unto others, FIRST!"

What I do observe throughout these pages, and indeed throughout all the levels of human interaction which I have recently been party to, or otherwise made aware of, is a generalized state of panic.

What else would cause normally sane and respectful folks to lash out with such venomous fervor at others who are essentially the same as themselves? The need to demolish others only reveals the fundamental fear beneath. Demonizing others is just a way of justifying rage and "giving a face" to fear.

Pundits and Doomsayers on all sides would have you believe that this election will decide the course of human evolution, that the opposing camp has the personal endorsement of Satan and all Four Horsemen, and that their candidate is the only hope for Life As We Know It to continue anywhere in the known universe, but that is just the Fear getting face time.

We are a powerful nation, yes. We have been at the forefront of many important advancements for all of mankind-yes. We have, however, gotten our hands more than a little dirty more than a few times. This is not a matter of opinion, but of fact. To deny that such transgressions have occured is to be naive to the reality of "nationbuilding." To think that the world owes us unswayed admiration simply because we feel that we "are the greatest" is ridiculous at best, and actually quite dangerous when considered in the long view.

After 9/11, the world rallied to our side, felt our pain, and reached out it's collective hand in support and in the spirit of community. Photos poured in from all corners of the world, not just those member nations of the "Coalition of the Willing." The same nations that are now told they are despised because their view differs from ours. It is precisely this sort of nearsighted international vision, that creates an environment which breeds the terrorist agenda. It is exactly the same sort of closed-mindedness exhibited by too many people on this board.

I post this not as an attack, but as an appeal. Everyone has good and bad ideas. Everyone has hope and anger in their heart. I would only hope that as free-thinking citizens of the self-styled "most civilized" nation on earth, we could discuss such matters, intelligently and repectfully, without needing to disparage and destroy the opinions of others.

In other words, I challenge us to prove just how "civilized" we truly are, right here on this board.

Now, let's see how long it takes for some rabid flame-thrower to tell me to go fuck myself, and just prove me right.