This
profound quote from one of America's most enlightened is exactly
what I've come to realize is our nation's greatest problem.
For
most of my conservative consciousness, I've been perplexed
by the behaviors and attitudes of liberal America. Ironic
considering that I was once left of center. I certainly understood
my own motivations - uneducated as they were. Eventually,
reality, experience, and edification set in. Admittedly, I
remain baffled by those my age and older who still hold on
to ill-fated philosophies in the face of all the historical
evidence at our fingertips. But more than that, what is with
the self-hating America-bashing that is so popular with a
large segment of the country? Then it hit me: low self-esteem.
One
thing you can always count on with someone suffering from
depression is that they will find ways to take away their
pain - it might be alcohol or drugs, both legal and illegal.
America has its own way of compensating. We drown ourselves in socialist
domestic programs that do more harm than good; foreign aid
that knowingly goes into the pockets of corrupt Third World
governments rather than the intended citizens; kid-glove defense
policies that restrain us from engaging in a full-fledged
war on terror. All of this behavior harms us and we know it.
Yet we carry on because it makes us feel better. It takes
our pain away. It helps us cope with the accusations that we're greedy, uncaring, and immoral.
Like
all depressed drug addicts or alcoholics, it's only a matter
of time before we crash. We're certainly taking no steps to
avoid it. Socialism is growing, not diminishing. We still
fund corrupt governments - including the United Nations -
resulting in absolutely no return (financial or otherwise)
for our investments. And there are still many in government
who favor appeasement rather than force to deal with terrorist
nations. This is not a formula for national or international
success. Unfortunately, our crash will likely come in the
form of financial ruin and/or a mushroom cloud.
I
wasn't sure about this correlation. Then I found a website
(www.coping.org) that helps people deal with stress. On their
site, they have a list of consequences of low self-esteem.
Let's look at a few:
Inability
to make decisions because of confusion and fear of making
a mistake or of disappointing others.
I
think this fits the basic profile of your average politician.
Instead of doing what needs to be done, the make (or don't
make) decisions they think will make us happy.
Chronically
affected by the need for approval and acceptance by others;
affected by the fear of abandonment, fear of rejection, and
disapproval.
John
Kerry anyone? Actually, the Communist Party in general. According
to them, we're not worthy to step up and defend ourselves
without international approval.
Inability
to feel like one has done "good enough'' on the job or
at home.
An overriding sense of guilt and inadequacy.
This
could explain why we continue to throw money at the poor instead
of allowing an unfettered free market to provide them with
jobs.
Inability
to reward oneself for one's own goodness and accomplishments.
This
might be the quintessential symptom that portrays that segment
of the population convinced America is what's wrong with the
world. There's no credit given to us for the progress - morally,
technologically, and economically - that allows the greatest
standard of living in the history of the world.
Has
it been a perfect process? Certainly not. But there's an important
question to ask… compared to what? What country in the
history of civilization - both prosperous and not - hasn't
made morally questionable decisions in the progression of
its society? How long must we feel the guilt of reprehensible
acts against African slaves and Native Americans? When will
we accept the fact that even though leaders of the Industrial
Revolution paid their employees what might perceived as meager
wages, it was still far more than what they would have earned
back on the farm (where they would have worked many more hours
per day)?
If
we continue to look at our history with 21st century morality,
we will never see ourselves as a great nation. The silver
lining in our cloudy past is that (despite what liberals will
have you think) we work far less and own far more than any
civilization in history. Do you think the computer on which
you're reading this, the car you use on a daily basis, the
Xbox in your children's room, or any of our modern conveniences
would be possible without our mistakes or successes?
There
is no Utopia in the history of the world to which the United
States can be held. But since few people put modern-day life
into historical perspective, we are continually pressured
to make things right with the world. We are supposed to lift
the "victims of capitalism" out of poverty for our
history of "greed". We should appease the Arab world
to make up for our greedy exploitation of their holy land.
We are supposed to emmulate those morally superior European
nations who provide cradle-to-grave care for their citizens,
irrespective of their financial stability. We are to feel
forever guilty for being prosperous while others - whose very
culture prevents them from behaving likewise - live in destitution.
There
are certainly things of which we need not be proud. But there
is nothing for which we need to apologize.
Luckily,
there are those of us who understand what this country has
accomplished and how great we truly are. It's up to us to
end the cycle of self-loathing. We can end the self-destructive,
socialist behavior that comes from liberal depression. Whenever
you encounter a liberal, put your hands on his shoulders and
tell him, "We're good enough. We're smart enough. And
doggone it… who gives a sh*t if people like us?"
