I think the tradition of moving forward rather then backward as a society. We have made plenty of mistakes in the past, will make them in the future, but we were evolving as a society. Now we have taken several steps backward under Bush.
Posted by dav at March 25, 2007 07:39 AMI grew up in the high cascades huntin’ and fishin’, fightin and f_ckin’, and pretty much mindin’ my own business. Had a gun when I was eight, a pony at ten; was ridin’ line on a cattle ranch at fifteen, just me and a couple of horses, a couple of dogs, a bunch of cows and a whole lot of high desert sky. My dad, uncles, grand-dads were all VFW, as am I; worked in the woods, in the sawmill or out on the ranch, as have I. I’m pretty sure the whole family - hell, the whole town of Gilchrest, maybe even all of North Klamath County- voted for Ike, twice (shit, I voted for boht Nixon and Reagon). I grew up with pretty strong American - Western American - values, I think; grew up in a country, a culture, fearing nothing but fear itself.
When did we become such a nation of pussies?
Posted by Thomas Ware at March 25, 2007 08:40 AMI'm pretty sure that Bignews was asking for Americans to remember the words from our national anthem -- "...the land of the free and the home of the brave." We've had cowards running our nation for the last six years playing the electorate's worst fears. It's past time to cast off these fools.
Posted by PrahaPartizan at March 25, 2007 10:45 AMMst b tht lftst trdtn f pstlnt prsts drppng wth ht, gnwng wy t th hst tht gv thm sstnnc.
[Editor: ignore=off]Thomas, you reminded me of a story. When my brother-in-law was in junior high school, and living in a small town, he use to take a rifle with him to school, on the school bus, most Fridays. He would place the rifle in his locker. Friday was the night that he stayed at a friend's house and went hunting early Saturday mornings. That was before we turned into a Nation of violence.
Posted by Judith at March 25, 2007 01:26 PMBrzezinski was born in Poland (in 1928) and, with his father being a diplomat, spent his early years in Germany during the Nazi rise and in Russia during the Great Purge. So perhaps those are the traditions he's referring to. He's certainly no expert on American traditions.
But, come on, that's nitpicking. I think it's a great essay. I particularly like the way he puts the "war on terror" in quotes and describes its farcical consequences.
Recently I had to pass through a remote Border Patrol checkpoint (which incidentally is about fifty miles from the border). Part of our emerging police state. The agent asked: Where are you going? I said: Up the road. He said: Where did you come from? I said: Down the road. He smiled and waved me on. So, as Brzezinski suggests, the new police state needn't be without humor.
I have checked the records and this type of traffic check has been okayed by the Supreme Court, no less. The majority ruling said that a short stoppage of wayfaring citizens is no big deal and should be allowed. But they can't ask you to open the trunk, for example. Not now. But it'll come. A little liberty loss here and a little there, pretty soon the traditional liberty of free movement on common roads is gone. In that sense Brzezinski is correct.
Posted by Don Bacon at March 25, 2007 02:11 PMI sure feel enlightened from reading your posts.
America sucks, Z-big is an idiot and F-150s are crap.
Jazz, blues, and bluegrass music are pretty strong traditions, and old-time rock-n-roll. We've had some good writers, too. These are what lasts after all the empire crap burns out. The western mountains are good, too. I remember them from before everyone got hooked on a military high. Maybe that will burn away, too, someday. The addiction, I mean.
Posted by Delia at March 25, 2007 06:07 PM"I know my own nation best. That's why I despise it the most. And know and love my own people, too, the swine. I'm a patriot. A dangerous man." --Edward Abbey
Posted by Don Bacon at March 25, 2007 06:11 PM