Victor Davis Hanson: The Disenchanted American, Are we growing world-weary? [Imagine no USA]

NRO ^ | January 7, 2005 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Tolik]

    Victor Davis Hanson Ping ! 

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[steplock]

"we are not becoming naïve isolationists of 1930s vintage, who believe that we are safe by ourselves inside fortress America — not after September 11. "

Major flaw --- isolationism had NOTHING to do with Sept 11, 2001 - except that it could have prevented it.

We do have the capability of sealing our country from the world and destroying anyone who would dare enter or attack.

But, isolationism is NOT the answer - we must maintain our strength and power, and we also must keep our HONOR and COURAGE = unknown words to the leftists and lawyers.

[robowombat]

While I don't agree with all of Hanson's enthusiasm for US globalism this presentation is a dramatic picture of what one sort of global order might have emerged if the US did indeed withdraw from the world stage as many paleocon and libertarian oriented conservatives wish. What would be useful in the ongoing debate over the purposes of US foreign policy would be for the Lib/paleocon right to confront the possibility that by withdrawing from most global military and political engagement the results could be much more threatening to the physical existence of the US than whatever level of hostility current US policies generate.

[CivilWarguy]

Best piece yet by Hanson--and that's saying something!

[bitt]

'Kerry attacked what he called the "horrendous judgments" and "unbelievable blunders" of the Bush administration. The mistakes, he said, included former U.S. occupation leader Paul Bremer's decisions to disband the Iraqi army and purge the government of former members of Hussein's Baath Party. Both moves are widely believed to have fueled the largely Sunni insurgency.

"What is sad about what's happening here now is that so much of it is a process of catching up from the enormous miscalculations and wrong judgments made in the beginning," he said. "And the job has been made enormously harder."

[sarasota]

Agreed.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

America First, Last and Always! The secret of our strength is that we are one of the few nations on the planet which can go almost entirely self-sufficient. Let's fortify the borders, discourage foreigners and rebuild our exported industries to 21st century specs. Rebuild the metal and textile sectors. Vigorously defend against foreign knockoffs of our patents. Replace most in-country flight with high efficiency rail. Win the cultural war by smashing the Big Media cartels and instituting local and regional news/entertainment sources. We can do these things.

[roses of sharon]

The global leftist "community", ie, governments, media, organizations, the UN, ect, have been using OBL, Saddam and Sons, Arafat, and the Islamic cults, in a proxy war against the US and Israel power for decades.

These cults have been roaming the globe for decades, murdering innocents, with impunity. Their behavior and ideology have been rationalized as victimhood in the name of "occupation", "humiliation", and "oppression".

The State Department is largely responsible for some of these attitudes, I would like to see an investigation and an overhaul of these "diplomats".

And speaking of investigations, where are our journalists? Or any journalists?

Where has investigative journalism gone? What governments, individuals, or organizations, have been financing, supporting, urging, and encouraging these cults for the last decades?

Who of our allies have been encouraging this proxy war?

I want facts, evidence, tapes, and some calling out of these entities.

That will take some no-nonsense policies and individuals at State, and a return of real journalism.

[beachn4fun]

But what is new is that the disenchanted American is becoming savvy and developing a long memory — and so we all fear the day is coming when he casts aside the badge, rides the buckboard out of town, and leaves such sanctimonious folk to themselves.

Yes, I can see this happening now. But, these people (and I admit I am one) need a strong voice to help them realize this is not the best course for America.

[rhombus]

What would be useful in the ongoing debate over the purposes of US foreign policy would be for the Lib/paleocon right to confront the possibility that by withdrawing from most global military and political engagement the results could be much more threatening to the physical existence of the US than whatever level of hostility current US policies generate.

I have this same debate with a liberal historian who clings to the mantra that whatever the US does makes things worse in the world. Hanson's recitation of what the world would be like without US global military and political engagement would not be conceded or acknowledged by this PhD who still credits Gorby for the demise of the Soviet Union more so than Reagan. Likewise, the issue of free-markets and the use of capitalism as a weapon of freedom is never conceded by these same pro-Socialism folks who find allies among the Walmart and outsourcing haters from both parties.

[bikepacker67]

I love this man's mind.

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

Someone should write a book about what the world would be like if the United States had never existed. Or what it would be like if all Americans just disappeared. I've thought about doing it, but it's probably more than I could handle.

[bowzer313]

I will accept Hansen's notion of a large number of Americans who are finally tiring of the idiocies of the rest of the world when I see a groundswell of public opinion to get the hell out of the UN.

[Let's Roll]

I want "in"

Thanks, Tolik, for the unexcerpted version.

[hershey]

V.D. must be reading my muddled mind.

[Tolik]

Added to the VDH ping list. Thanks

VDH BUMP

[hershey]

Interestingly, FR posted a piece the other day by a European who suggested that the next time Europe demands our help with one thing or another, we say no. Nobody gets a free ride. All hands to the wheel, etc..

[SolutionsOnly]

The analogy with "High Noon", "Shane" and other westerns works very, very well.

Great Article!

[hershey]

We can do those things, but how do we build a dome over the country or a wall a thousand feet high to keep out everybody else, for as sure as God made little green apples, they'll be tunneling under or climbing over. The fact of our existence is reason enough to see us all dead. They can't stand the idea of freedom...GW is on Fox TV right now saying this.