[MD] Cheerleading for America

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Platt]
Just as I thought. You're hard pressed to come up with even one instance of
praise for something specific America has done that's good for the world.

[Arlo]
Harley-Davidson. Public lands and parks. Geographic and ethnic diversity from
shore to shore. Helping end the holocaust. Attempting to end the Serbian
atrocities (although too little was done). Space exploration. Public libraries
and literacy programs. Rock and roll. Respect for sportsmen, hunters and
fishers (that sounds funny). The best menu in the world (from cajun and
tex-mex, to greek and thai, and everything in between). Mark Twain. Robert
Pirsig. Ice cream cones. The cinema and the comic book.

Is that a good enough start?

[Platt]
Just that you tend to look for what it has done wrong rather than what it has
done right and continues to do right, like defend the intellectual level rights
of free speech, free press, free religion, etc.

[Arlo]
I gave one example (the Indian Wars) as part of a foursome of examples (this
weas the only American one) of the dangers of blind obedience. If you think
thats "tending to look for what it has done wrong", I'm pretty sure anything
I'd say except "Hoody Hoo for America!" would be met with the same "you're
bashing America" stuff.

[Platt]
Reading ahead I see you wish to terminate this discussion,.just when others seem
to be warming to it. But, OK by me.

[Arlo]
I don't want to terminate the discussion. I just saw little point in having the
entire argument be whether or not Arlo likes America. So, I've moved the
cheerleading stuff to this thread. With Ben, Craig, and DMB also chiming in, I
don't think either of us should terminate the thread. But if you want to
challenge my love of America, move it here. But if you want me to say that
America has never done ANYTHING wrong, you'll never hear it. 

[Platt]
Maybe one of these days we'll see eye to eye on some political issues, but I'm
not holding my breath.

[Arlo]
I though we just agreed on no reparations? And in abolishing the income tax. And
in the funding of public libraries and state lands (or maybe I'm imagining that
last one).

So, back to the fray, with the "Rah-rah America is great!" stuff moved here.
Okay?