Two things happened today. First, I received an email from my uncle that was basically a complaint to President Obama about his approach to the international community. If the email is true, Obama apologized for some of President Bush's and America's actions in a speech he gave overseas. The writer of the email felt that in doing so, President Obama made America appear weak. Of course, the sacrifices of American soldiers during World War II were brought up to say that President Obama had disgraced those sacrifices.
The second thing that happened is that I watched the movie Innocent Voices about the El Salvador civil war. The movie highlights the practice of "recruiting" young boys into the El Salvador army by following one boy as he goes through the months preceding his 12th birthday. The age of 12 is when boys are most likely to be forced into the army so their choice is to either wait until they are picked up by the El Salvador army or join the guerrillas. The US government supported the El Salvador army and even sent troops to train the army. The US troops were training these 12 year old boys to be soldiers!!
Here's a link to a PBS site with information about the El Salvador civil war: http://www.pbs.org/itvs/enemiesofwar/elsalvador2.html
There is a reason that when someone wants to point out the United States' moral superiority that they have to go back to World War II. It's because we did do something great in that war. We did free millions of people from tyranny. But what we did over 60 years ago doesn't give us the right to not take responsibility for our mistakes. We've made a number of mistakes since World War II and apologizing for those mistakes doesn't make us weak. It takes courage to apologize and try to do better. We keep making the same mistakes on the international scene because we aren't willing to admit that we've made a mistake.
I am incredibly respectful of the people who serve in our armed forces because I recognize that they are putting their lives on the line to protect our country. I also understand that there are good and bad in every group of people and it seems to me that it is the bad in the armed forces that we need to address. We need to take the stand that we cannot condone atrocities by claiming that they are necessary to protect our freedom.
Like Korea and Vietnam, our support of the El Salvador army was a tactic to try and prevent a "leftist" or "socialist" government from being installed. Apparently, we are so afraid of other ideas that we are willing to kill innocent people over it. No one knows what would have happened in Korea, Vietnam, El Salvador or any other country if we had not interfered. Maybe they would have gotten governments that were repressive but maybe they wouldn't have. With the number of people who have been killed due to our interference, who can say if any one is better off as a result of our actions. And what of the people who survived? The CIA recruited Osama Bin Laden to fight the Soviets. (http://www.globalpolicy.org/empire/terrorwar/analysis/2008/0120history.htm) How much did we contribute to the creation of the world's most well known terrorist?
I'm not advocating that we withdraw from the world and not get involved at all. What I am advocating is that we make decisions based on reason not fear. I wonder if these decisions are made with any consideration for the innocent people who are caught in the cross fire as governments fight for control over ideas. There is not just one flavor of Democracy. Democracy simply means that people choose the type of government they get. If the people choose socialism, let them do it!!
I love my country and the ideals on which it was established. I'm just tired of people using patriotism as a weapon against anyone who speaks out against human rights abuses committed by our own country. Sometimes your best friend is the person who tells you when you are being an ass.
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5 comments:
I admire your take. I agree with you 100%.
Lot of people think that criticizing military interventions abroad equals not respecting soldiers. I respect them and thank them. But I still think we (and by we, I mean most Western countries, because we are all guilty of interference in other countries' business - see France in Africa...!) should realize that the world doesn't revolve around us and that we are not aways right.
We dream of freeing the world but we forget to clean our own backyard... giving advices is easy but can we see further?
We dream of a world we can be kings of...
I appreciate your comment and the irony that you point out. Is it possible to free the world and be the kings as well?
Hi,
You’ve labelled this post a 'rant' but I’d call it a well-considered, intelligent comment.
Yes, the email you received was correct. Barack Obama did say in one of his speeches that mistakes had been made in past American foreign policy. (I’ve been searching the internet for his exact words but can’t find the speech – sure it’s out there somewhere). He was very tactful, didn’t name the person or persons he thought responsible, but over here in Britain most people thought we knew who he was referring to - and applauded him!
I don't understand why anyone would think that acknowledging something has gone wrong and deciding to try a different approach is a sign of weakness.
On the contrary, it takes courage to admit mistakes and say sorry (even if you weren't personally responsible).
And why is it unpatriotic to want to talk to people instead of sending in the bombers?
Of all the naive things George Bush said during his presidency, the one that sticks in my mind is when he said he didn't understand why there are people in this world who hate America.
Exactly! He was incapable of putting himself in someone else's shoes and seeing that a different point of view is not automatically wrong. (Or that he was always right!)
I'd better stop now or I'll start ranting!!
Thanks for sharing your viewpoint. I am not diappointed in my country. I am diappointed in our leadership!!! I am tired of devisive politics and name calling. Yes we have made mistakes. I credit President Obama and his diplomacy with trying to correct our previous "all important arrogant attitude of superiority". I will always love the USA. Regardless of our deficiences, the US still represents democracy and freedom.
Thank you both for your comments!
When I am Rich: Well, I'm glad you thought my post was not a rant. I guess I call it that because when I am writing it I feel as though I am ranting.
There are so many people in America who have never gone beyond their own borders and they are so self centered that they can't see that there is another viewpoint. Mr. Bush was a representative of that group of people. They are the people known to the rest of the world as the "Ugly American".
Rae: I understand what you are saying about the leadership vs. the country. I guess I felt that I was disappointed in the country because as a democracy we all bear the responsibility for the leaders that we elect. Honestly, I was surprised that Mr. Bush was elected for a second term because I felt at that time that his arrogance had seriously damaged international relations and put our country in serious jeopardy by spreading our armed forces too thin. Also, in the situation in El Salvador. Why didn't the soldiers sent to train the El Salvador army refuse to train the boys younger than 18. Leadership bears responsibility but followers who are complicit with actions they know to be wrong are also responsible.
I too love the US, which is why I am so upset to see her ideals soiled.
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