[MD] Cheerleading for America

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting ARLO J BENSINGER JR <ajb102 at psu.edu>:

> [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?

Not bad, except for rock and roll. :-) How about the free market system that has
brought about a diversity, not to mention abundance, of goods and services? And,
at the top of my list, like DMB's, the Bill of Rights.

> [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.

Well, you'll have to admit up to now you've pretty much emphasized the negative.

> [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. 

I'm well aware of that!

> [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).

Thanks for reminding me. All the negativity had affected my memory
of the positive.  

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

Do I detect with "rah-rah America" an insinuation that sticking up for the U.S.
is something to be mocked? 



-------------------------------------------------
This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/