January 5, 2005

• Topic: Things to be thankful for

  
  

  -Tastykake mini donuts
  -Sweet and salty honey nut chex mix
  -The movie Garden State (which i saw most of last night before passing out on the couch)
  -The Shins (the band featured in the movie)
  -The Thirsty Dog (the bar that served 2 for $3 beers last night, and actually had several dogs in the bar, and the friendly indi guy who does industrial design of such things like cell phone designs to tupper ware)
  -The Smithsonian History Museum (where I went yesturday on a beautfiful DC afternoon to see their history of war exhibit, which had a cool room on Vietnam with a bunch of ’60′s tv’s and couches lined with plastic like in some Italian home, so I was able to sit and relax and watch some interesting news footage from that war.  And the two shards of metal from the World Trade Center towers, which was kind of freaky to see that they already had that up in a museum, and to think how as soon as anything happens, it’s history.  Also…to be reminded of the US’s background with wars….it made me reflect on the psychology of the US.  It’s rare that I read about the US as a person, and to think that few politicians are sociologists, philosophers, or psychologists, or educators, but rather politicians and lawyers.  So, viewing the US as a person, I reflect that the US originated in the murder of Indians, then survived until the 1850′s with slavery, then went to war with itself, then went to war with Mexico for the sole purpose of manifest destiny, to acquire more land and continue to grow the US as an empire, then war with Spain over Cuba in 1898.  That was only 107 years ago that the US was nothing more than a young person looking for fights in the playground.  Till the ’60′s, we were still a country with racist laws on the books.  And today, in 2004, we still have large numbers of our population, mostly minorities, living in poverty, without health care, without a quality education, without many basic needs.

  
  

  I’m sure everyone knows of one person who is just a good all around person.  Someone who did well in school, who is well-educated, who is friendly, who is helpful, a true Boy Scout type.  Someone who gives before he takes, someone who helps settle disputes, rather than causing them.  Someone who would be accepted by all as being a good and just person.  Now…substitute the word person for country, or for the US.  What type of person is the US?  I truly want to understand the perspective of the radical-right, those who criticize those who are critical of the US’s past.  Are parts of US history more acceptable than I’m giving them credit for?  I didn’t mention a lot of other actions also.  Or, anything relating to the Cold War.  While I can sympathize now with some of the aims of socialism/Communism, if their aim is to help spread their ideas worldwide, eventually that would threaten the US as we know it.  If Communism calls for revolution, than doesn’t that justify fighting in Vietnam, and CIA actions to overthrow Communist countries?  What about Muslim fundamentalism?  If their aim is to topple our friend in Israel, doesn’t that justify our opposition to those countries, Palestine and Iraq? 

  
  

  Here’s another question.  Does the US gov’t need to be seen as a Boy Scout.  Or, should the people be the Boy Scouts?  For example, in sending aid to the tsunami victims, many have criticized the US (gov’t) for being too cheap, but, so much wealth lies with the people as well.  And, that’s where much of the fund-raising is coming from.  Getting private donations.  Is it fair to criticize the gov’t without also evaluating the actions of the people?  (This is not to say that we can’t still view the gov’t as not being a good Boy Scout, for those who believe that is the role of the gov’t). more thoughts to come…  

  
  

   

  
  

   

  • 9:55 am
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