Posted by
Sanity 102 on Sunday, April 08, 2007 4:17:13 AM
I could “hear” it in their voices…anger, frustration, shame.
Oh, that was the Brits all right, but it was there in American voices too. For many, the British hostage situation reminded them of Jimmy Carter’s stint and his appeasement policy.
It also directly hit that one vulnerable spot that is in most Americans, the area that marketing specialist try to touch so that whatever they are selling gets bought.
Pride.
Pride makes designer products desirable. Or the biggest, smallest, sleekest, flashest, “look at me”, hot sellers and big money makers.
Pride can make “intelligence” seem more important than “loyalty” and normally decent folks allow a mob to attack a single person.
Pride also will fight when there seems to be little hope and create shining cities from old dusty deserts.
They say that Jimmy Carter lost to Reagan because Reagan had Hollywood charisma. They say it was because of the high inflation and gas rationing.
I think it was pride.
When Jimmy Carter turned to his 9 year old and asked why the terrorist refused to give back the hostages to this nation, he made every American feel about 2 inches tall.
Reagan made us feel better. He brought back the days of John Wayne and Errol Flynn. When…how does that song go? “girls were girls and men were men…those were the days.”
Clinton days were full of self-gratification where terrorism and war seemed something so far away. It was party time and everybody “be happy”.
Then along came the “cowboy” and “bring ‘um on.”
And America thought they were pretty hot stuff.
So hot, the record low unemployment, unprecedented economic growth, and sole super power status could be taken for granted.
The Brits hostage situation brought it all back.
In 18 months, we will either have another policy of appeasement or a continuation of “bring it on.”
Thanks to the Brits, this is a question that not only the GOP is considering; but the Independent.
And the latter is looking for a line to stand in – and buy.
It’s time to move the absolutists and anyone else that will scare them away out.
It’s time to decide just how badly we want to avoid going back to feeling—2 inches tall.