Posted on 08/17/2006 3:25:50 PM PDT by Renfield
Something isn't quite right with this historic address. While I would not dismiss entirely his criticisms of the West, he clearly sees the cup as half-empty. I could also have done without the boilerplate criticism of big business -- though I certainly have been a critic of big business myself.
There is a lot to criticize in the West. But the baby oughtn't be thrown out with the bathwater.
And, of course, his rooting out the cause of our troubles as atheistic humanism is undeniably accurate.
I don't know which "west" he's talking about. If he wishes to discuss individuals, however, I'd say there are millions of examples to the contrary.
1) Since this speech, we have taken God out of this country in a big way.
2) Their are more liberals interested in themselves rather then responsibility roughly half the population. These are the same people who want to cut and run rather then fight the necessary war on terror which lets face it - includes Iran and Syria.
3) The rights of the few individuals now outweigh the masses, such as gay rights, athiests etc.
4) Why are is America 8 trillion dollars in debt? We all NEED MORE STUFF!
I'll add on thing he didn't mention that could help. We need national priorities that can benefit all mankind. Colonization of space or living forever are examples. Otherwise we are all bored and focus on simple pleasures only as is the case today. I think one of the biggest factors that prevented nuclear war with the Soviets was the space race. This was competition between two major superpowers that was non-violent in nature and benefited all mankind.
ITS Great to Live in America!
Bullshit. The whole POINT of the United States is exactly that---to have a society the grows out of the combined gestalt of free individuals with many DIFFERENT moral standards--which is exactly what Solzhenitzyn failed to understand. I'll take our Founding Fathers' wisdom over Solzhenitzyn any day. ALL the problems of ALL other societies have come from some or other entity trying to impose a SINGLE set of "moral standards". That was the case for "Reformation era" Europe, Communism, current "euro-Socialism", and it's the problem with the Islamo-fascist Muslims and our own native "progressives".
"Atheistic hedonism is not going to keep the West alive."
I think it is, however, highly contagious. This is why American Muslims don't blow themselves up like their foreign relatives. Gee, who wants to miss the next episode of Desperate Housewives? Or the trip to the mall? Or, who's gonna win the Superbowl? Or the hot date coming up Friday nite?
parsy, who's got a little of that in him.
*At the time, he was living within 20 minutes of my hometown in VT. Obviously, he had spoken with Bernie Sanders, and Jumpin Jim Jefffords, and Leaky Leahy and all the rest of the Liberals.
I think he is a great man but he tended, imo, to project his internal conflicts upon the world at large. I think living in the west conflicted him. He was, in an odd way, more sure of himself while a prisoner in the Gulag. Liberty disoriented him.
I told you it was sobering. The post on The Usual Suspects was pretty amazing too.
F
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