RANGER AGAINST WAR: Little Neros <

Monday, February 02, 2009

Little Neros

--We're in the Money,
Gold Diggers of 1933

The sun is shining, come on get happy

The Lord is waiting to take your hand

Shout Hallelujah, come on get happy

We're going to the Promised Land

--Get Happy
, Arlen/Koehler

A man's judgment is never any better
than his information

--Lyndon B. Johnson,

advice from his father

________________

The question that strikes me after reading a book like "The Untold Story of Douglas MacArthur" (Frazier Hunt, 1954) is
, how did the U.S. become such a timid nation that a small terror group like al-Qaeda could cause such paroxysms of fear?

The U.S. has faced actual threats head on to a bloody victory. The threat posed by al-Qaeda is a pinprick compared to what was faced in WW I and II against Germans and Japanese, and the looming threat of worldwide Communism. The Soviet Army was armed with nukes down to the operational maneuver group level. If al-Qaeda's threat is otherwise, we would like to see the national security estimate. (The next piece will address that issue.)


The nation faced those past threats and prospered, where now we quiver in our Cambodian-made shorts. What gives?


The U.S. must get a grip on what is real and what is fantasy. We call programs
like Survivor "reality shows," yet they are naught but elaborate distractions. Shows like "24" and "The Unit" pander to the idea that al-Qaeda can bring the U.S. down. Another fantasy is that the U.S. can change the values of the Arab world.

The reality is that the country is crumbling from the inside, and we are mostly complicit little Neros hoping for the next distraction, throttling headlong into the national disasters our leaders cook up for us. Not too smart.


Busby Berkeley has left the building.

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4 Comments:

Blogger Mike said...

I can't really argue with your points, and I can't come up with any palatable solutions.

[frowny face goes here]

So what can we do?

Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 1:35:00 PM GMT-5  
Blogger rangeragainstwar said...

Mr. O.,
Go out and buy a violin-it'll help the economy , but then again maybe not since they all seem to be made in China.
jim

Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 6:55:00 PM GMT-5  
Blogger Mike said...

I was just going to point that out. What *do* we make here these days? I'm in the market for a set of electronic drums (they're more fun to play than a violin), and most of the really good stuff is made overseas.

Slow days at work (like I'm having right now) allow me too much time to think, which inevitably leads to depression.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 10:35:00 AM GMT-5  
Blogger rangeragainstwar said...

Mr. O,
The last 2 Vox amps that i bought were made in Viet Nam.George Harrison would turn over in his grave!!
jim

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 11:16:00 AM GMT-5  

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