An Ode to America

Evenimentul Zilei ^ | 24th September 2004 | Cornel Nistorescu

[eakole]

An ode to America by Cornel Nistorescu ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Why are Americans so united? They don't resemble one another even if you paint them! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations. Some of them are nearly extinct, others are incompatible with one another, and in matters of religious beliefs, not even God can count how many they are. Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the army, the secret services that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed on the streets nearby to gape about. The Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand. After the first moments of panic, they raised the flag on the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colours of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a minister or the president was passing. On every occasion they started singing their traditional song: "God Bless America!".

Silent as a rock, I watched the charity concert broadcast on Saturday once, twice, three times, on different tv channels. …

What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their galloping history? Their economic power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases which risk of sounding like commonplaces. I thought things over, but I reached only one conclusion.

Only freedom can work such miracles!

[eakole]

Mr. Cornel Nistorescu’s conclusion is correct. Mr. James Madison. explains this American phenomenon in Federalist, No. 10.

Mr. Madison wrote: “By a faction I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.

“There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: The one, by removing its causes; the other, by controling its effects.

“There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: The one by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests.

“It could never be more truly said than of the first remedy, that it is worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction, what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency.

“The second expedient is as impracticable, as the first would be unwise. As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed. As long as the connection subsists between his reason and his self-love, his opinions and his passions will have a reciprocal influence on each other; and the former will be objects to which the latter will attach themselves. The diversity in the faculties of men from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to an uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results: And from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties.” James Madison. Federalist, No. 10.

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ps: Thanks to “gwbiny2k” for posting an excerpt of "An Ode to America" in http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1256202/posts

Ed

[frog_jerk_2004]

Silent as a rock, I watched the charity concert broadcast on Saturday once, twice, three times, on different tv channels

That was like turning on and watching a wake in progress. I was much more moved watching BUSH speak to the firemen, rescue workers, and volunteers on the mound of rubble of the WTC vowing to get the terrorists.

Or, the service at the National Cathedral when the choir sung "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" with the original fifth verse. That sent chills down my spine because I knew in my heart that America, under BUSH's leadership, was going to do some serious ass-whoopin'!