← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Robbie
Thread ID: 6592 | Posts: 7 | Started: 2003-05-10
2003-05-10 17:36 | User Profile
This article brings some good points to the table, but all it takes is a mention of the second Messiah, "Martin Luther King", to discredit it as nothing but an example of the usual neocon thinking.
A Nation Of Cowards By Sidney Hall, Jr. CommonDreams.org 5-9-3
For a brief moment after 9/11, we recognized some genuine heroes in our midst, those who put their lives on the line to rescue strangers and those who put their own needs in back of the needs of others in the middle of tragedy. The celebration of this heroism may have become a little gaudy, but it was sincere.
Since then we seem to have become a nation of cowards celebrating illusions.
There is a president, who, in reaction to the devastation of 9/11, does not act with forbearance, curiosity to understand the root cause, and as a world leader. Instead he lashes out at blurry targets with more force than we were met with. This is not the act of a brave man. This is the act of a coward.
There is a senator who sees his country yawing dangerously off course and, for the first time in its history abusing its power openly and shamelessly. The senator says nothing, though he knows better, because he is afraid of an emotional backlash if he engages in rational discussion. He is afraid he will lose the next election. This is the act of a coward.
There is a citizen who is unable to think. He succumbs to fear, believes every scary story he hears, buys duct tape for his doors and windows, when a bit of thinking would tell him he is in more danger from getting into his car. This is the act of a coward.
There is a journalist who knows there are young children dying in hospitals in Iraq, with their bodies horribly disfigured as the result of our countryâs doings, yet he will not show pictures of these children so that people can weigh the consequences of war for themselves. He shows pictures of massively-armed Americans and reports every ãcoalitionä news release as gospel truth. This is the act of a coward.
There is an attorney general who is so scared by events that he is willing to subvert the very essence of what we would normally be fighting for. He wraps his subversive activities in a cloud of confusion. This is the act of a coward.
There is a citizen who hangs a flag out on his house as a sign proclaiming that he cannot think, that it is enough to ãsupport our troopsä whether what they are doing is right or wrong. This is the act of a coward.
There is the soldier who fires into an oncoming vehicle carrying a family with women and children because he thinks they are coming after him. This is the act of a coward.
There is another soldier who fires into a crowd of civilians when someone throws a sandal at him. Sure he is young, scared to death by the situation he has been unfairly drawn into, but he doesnât wait for a real reason to fire. This is the act of a coward.
Another soldier trains the barrel of his tank on a hotel full of journalists and fires. This is the act of a coward.
A soldier stands by while hospitals and museums are looted and anarchy descends on a great city. This is the act of a coward.
Many of these are scared kids put into an impossible place. We should pity them, but that does not make them the heroes.
There is a reporter who forbears to report how scared and unnerved these kids are, for fear he might undermine his president. This is the act of a coward.
A member of the United States Congress goes into his cafeteria and renames French Fires, Freedom Fries, because he he is unable to take any criticism from another country, even the country that helped pave the way for American freedom. Is this the act of a brave man? No, this is the act of a coward.
A scholar who advises the White House concludes that force and fear are the only way to end a cycle of terrorism that perpetuates itself because of force and fear. He does not even think about finding the reasons for the problem, or the solutions. This is the act of a coward.
And the president comes forth smirking and swaggering, dressing in military garb and gloating. We have seen this from the worst of world leaders before, the Stalins and Hitlers, and though our president may not rise to the same level of evil, he resembles them uncomfortably. They are the leaders that did what they did and smirked and swaggered while they did it because they were essentially cowards too.
We have, it seems, at last become a nation of cowards. Cowardice has woven itself right into the fabric of our lives. A nation of cowards÷except those who arenât, and there are many. And in the heart of every American there is a bravery waiting to emerge. If someone would come along who would call on that bravery, if another Martin Luther King came suddenly into our midst, you would see bravery flower everywhere overnight.
We are, all of us, after all, just human.
Sidney Hall, Jr. is a poet and publisher who lives in New Hampshire. He is the owner of http://www.hobblebush.com/Hobblebush Books and may be reached at sidhall@charter.netsidhall@charter.net.
[url=http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0508-14.htm]http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0508-14.htm[/url]
2003-05-10 19:42 | User Profile
Originally posted by Robbie@May 10 2003, 17:36 ** This article brings some good points to the table, but all it takes is a mention of the second Messiah, "Martin Luther King", to discredit it as nothing but an example of the usual neocon thinking. **
Yes, the author blows his credibility with the MLK (jr) remark. Yes, we are a nation of cowards, the author is no exception. He will not face the truth that MLK Jr was a two-bit conman who did this country no good. He is a coward.
2003-05-10 21:10 | User Profile
This was a great article; even with the nonsense at the end. I would not call it noncon in any way. It is sad to see such nonsense in an other wise great article. But it does not destroy it.
The article makes some great points about the foolishness and just plain evil deed of the U.S. Government. The Bushies have been looking pretty bad in this war. I recall seeing a GOP Moron on TV calling the Iraqis who charged M-1 tanks with pickup trucks "Cowards," now that is Neocon foolishness at it's most stupid!
2003-05-10 21:44 | User Profile
From another angle to see the cowards.
When it developes to today's situation, people should realize that this country is not actually running by democratic system but a covert totalitarian. The media and politicians are under stronghold of insider group. Bush is a puppet who carries out a policy favoured by this insider group, that's why they award him a post of President and high approve rate.
They use fake poll and information to mislead public's sentiment. The oppossing party is only a decoration. Remember the anthrax letters mailed to the leaders of Democrat's? Remember the DC sniper shooting which intimidated congress to authorize the war power to President Bush? If you are not obedient, Senator Wellstone's death was a model. That's why there is a humble Democratic party.
2003-05-11 00:12 | User Profile
Martwin Lucifer BoolieCoon, Jr. -- my heeeewo. :angry: :angry:
2003-05-11 09:26 | User Profile
**This was a great article; even with the nonsense at the end. I would not call it noncon in any way. It is sad to see such nonsense in an other wise great article. But it does not destroy **
I ditto that.
2003-05-11 21:47 | User Profile
So often when I see criticism of Bush's war in the media, the person doing the criticizing finishes up with some extreme-leftist comment. It's too bad that the media only gives the public the choice of neocon or leftist.
Also, I'd like to point out that not everyone involved in this war is so cowardly. Yes, Bush doesn't have the backbone to tell the public the truth, let alone pick up a gun and take the risks he has others take. And, shooting unarmed civilians, as we've seen several times, is cowardly. But, there are other serviceman who have chosen not to shoot when they were unsure of the danger, and a few of them may have died as a result.