Posted on 01/29/2007 7:42:23 PM PST by smoothsailing
Aquarius Sunset
by Cal Thomas Posted Jan 30, 2007
The ideologically decrepit anti-war crowd returned to Washington last weekend for a reunion. The older among them abandoned hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Vietnamese to imprisonment, torture, death and re-education camps. Their demonstrations were encouraging to the communist Vietnamese, sending the message that America lacked the will to win. These aging hippies and their progeny now want to do the same to millions of Iraqis, who have democratically elected their leaders.
This is the sunset of the “Age of Aquarius.” Yesterday, when they were young, they were the pampered generation that eschewed self-control for self-indulgence. They were (and are) so vain; they probably thought the world was about them. They were the redeeming generation that would save their parents from their sins by ending war, curing racism and cleaning the air and water. Their failure has long been obvious to all but them. To them, intentions, not success, are paramount. Because they believe their intentions are noble, they absolve themselves from the negative consequences of their actions.
As with the Vietnam anti-war protests, several of the same Hollywood actors spoke against the effort to make Iraq a stable and independent nation. Hollywood is the land of make-believe where love means never having to say you’re sorry and acting means never having to take responsibility for your words and behavior, which are written and directed by others. These stars live behind gates with security alarms and guards who protect their privileged lives.
Is there anyone else’s freedom these celebrities would defend? Do any other lives have value beyond their own? Since none of the older demonstrators took responsibility for what occurred in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, would any like to pledge now that if their protests help embolden the insurgents and Taliban to fight on until Iraq is in their clutches they will accept blame?
Why do these people always oppose America’s efforts to defend itself and others? Why did they not protest in Washington, or in Baghdad, when Saddam Hussein was practicing genocide and his sons were raping and torturing their fellow Iraqis? Will we ever see an anti-Taliban protest? How about a demonstration against suicide bombers, or even those who produce and detonate roadside bombs in Iraq? Why do these people think only their country is evil?
This is the doctrine of the privileged and the pampered. It is salvation on the cheap. It makes the protestors feel good, even righteous, but does nothing to solve the problem, which isn’t the United States, but a very real enemy that intends to kill us. Unlike Vietnam, the Islamofascists won’t leave us alone if we leave Iraq before stability is established. They will send more fanatics to our shores. Watch the TV drama “24” for what could be our prophetic and imminent future with a nuclear device exploding in major cities. Having concluded we don’t have the stomach to fight them on their turf, they might understandably deduce we are even less willing to fight them on ours.
While President Bush may have chosen Iraq and Afghanistan to counterattack in this war, the war would have come -- and, indeed, had already come prior to the attacks on these two countries -- had he decided to do nothing.
“Peace is controversial,” said Jesse Jackson last weekend. His comment has about as much relevance in an age of terror as a declaration against lust. Peace doesn’t result when America does nothing to confront evil. Peace comes through facing and defeating evil wherever and whenever we can. If freedom is not on the march against tyranny, then tyranny will be on the march against freedom. Neither is static. Peace doesn’t “happen.” To the extent peace can be attained on earth, it arrives through strength and willpower.
Forty years ago, the protestors pledged to achieve:
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind’s true liberation
They liberated neither their minds, nor the world. The Vietnamese who were murdered were not liberated. Today’s terrorists will not be defeated if we embrace the inane doctrines of the protestors.
A better song for them might be Brenda Lee’s “I’m Sorry,” the first part of which goes:
“I’m sorry, so sorry
That I was such a fool…”
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Copyright © 2007 HUMAN EVENTS. All Rights Reserved.
;-)
Great!
Who is she?
I am sure she LONGS for those days..
She is over the hill...and this is her "last chance" to relive her youth.
PUKE!
.
NEVER FORGET
Actually JANE FONDA just got through blaming US on the FoX News Channel tonight FOR the Vietnamese boat people and the Killing Fields of Camobdia after the Fall of Saigon..!!!!
It was Sen. BARBARA BOXER that personally led Anti-U.S. Demonstrations during the Vietnam War with the goal of shutting down the City Government of San Francisco, California.
Sen. TED KENNEDY told the American People last year on NBC's 'Meet the Press' that "only" 100,000 South Vietnamese lost their lives after the Fall of Saigon.
And NBC Host TIM RUSSERT didn't call him on it.
Sen. TED KENNEDY told the American People this year on NBC's 'FoX News Sudnay' that American Solidiers have been in Iraq longer than they were in South Vietnam, when they haven't been. And FoX Host CHRIS WALLACE didn't call him on it.
All this ...when Sen. TED KENNEDY just knew better from the very start of the Vietnam War. For he toured our military installations and was briefed on our offensive operations there way back in October 1965. I know, for I was there to greet him:
See 5th Picture down of a young Sen. TED KENNEDY touring our 1st Cavalry Division Airmobile's Headquarters in then Free South Vietnam's Central Highlands:
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set1.htm
NEVER FORGET
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"And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived." - Rev 13:14
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Guess I just have a "Knows" for it, right smoothsailing..?
As always, thank you for your kindness & your CLARITY.
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Yeppers...I have to say that Cal did well, for a change.
Oh, so true, so true. Cal might add that this is also the doctrine of the safe. Most of who are so privileged, they've never had to lift a finger for the freedoms they enjoy. In this make-believe world they are "brave" for speaking out in a free society. In that same make-believe world, these privileged ones can continue to believe they are the ones who protect our freedoms, and it has nothing to do with having one of the most powerful militaries in the world.
EXCELLENT article by Cal Thomas, Fox News Contributor.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my FoxFan list. *Warning: This can be a high-volume ping list at times.
Yup. That's what has frosted me for years, is that they've dragged the rest of us down with them. If a disgruntled group wants to trash their own lives, have at it, but leave the rest of us alone.
Hope you're not prophetic by the way (Go Bears!).
Although millions of Cambodians were killed by the Khmer Rouge, did this type of thing happen in Viet Nam on the same scale? And let us not forget the 2 million Vietnamese that we killed.
They were the redeeming generation that would save their parents from their sins by ending war, curing racism and cleaning the air and water. Their failure has long been obvious to all but them.
OK, they didn't end war, but the air and water are noticeably cleaner than they were in the 1950's and 60's. There is a lot less racism too. These are not failures. Of course more people than just hippies helped to bring this about.
Great essay, very insightful and right!
It is Barbara Mikulski, sad to say, Senator for Maryland
She and Nancy Pelosi went to the same Catholic high school in Baltimore. I wish I could brag that they learned conservative values there, but.....
Barbara and I went to the same college.
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