Posted on 02/27/2003 4:04:27 AM PST by RJCogburn
Those who oppose war with Iraqfrom foreign heads of state to homegrown antiwar protestersemploy a common expression of contempt for the American war effort. America, they sneer, is acting like a "cowboy."
A mock interview with Saddam Hussein conducted by a European intellectual is written to show, in one news report's summary, "what out-of-control cowboys the Americans are." A recent New York Times article explains that to some Europeans the "major problem is Bush the cowboy." U.S. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut agrees, stating that America must not "act like a unilateral cowboy."
These smears imply that the heyday of the cowboy in the Old West was a lawless period when trigger-happy gunmen shot it out with reckless abandon and brute force reigned.
But to most Americans, the cowboy is not a villain but a hero. What we honor about the cowboy of the Old West is his willingness to stand up to evil and to do it alone, if necessary. The cowboy is a symbol of the crucial virtues of courage and independence.
The original cowboys were hard-working ranchers and settlers who tamed a vast wilderness. In the process, they had to contend with violent outlaws as well as warlike Indian tribes. The honest men on the frontier did not wring their hands in fear, uncertainty and moral paralysis; they stood up to evil men and defeated them.
The Texas Rangersa small band of lawmen who patrolled a vast frontierbest exemplified the cowboy code. Whether they fought American outlaws, Mexican bandits or marauding Comanches, they were generally outnumbered, sometimes by as much as fifty to one. It was said of them: "They were men who could not be stampeded." For example, when Ranger officer John B. Armstrong boarded a train in pursuit of the infamous murderer John Wesley Hardin, he was confronted by five desperadoes. Armstrong took them on single-handed, killing one and capturing Hardin. In describing their independence and courage, Ranger captain Bob Crowder said: "A Ranger is an officer who is able to handle any situation without definite instructions from his commanding officer or higher authority."
The real-life courage of such heroes has been properly memorialized and glorified in countless fictional works. The Lone Ranger television show, Jack Schaefer's classic novel, Shane, and dozens of John Wayne movies, among others, have captured the essence of the Western hero's character: his unshakeable moral confidence in the face of evil. It is this vision of the cowboy, not the European slander, that Americans find inspiring. That's why, when President Bush said of Osama bin Laden, "Wanted: Dead or Alive," most Americans cheered.
The only valid criticism of President Bush, in this context, is that he is not true enough to the heritage of the Lone Star State. When the Texas Rangers went after a bank robber or rustler, they didn't wait to ask the permission of his fellow gang members. Yet Bush is asking permission from a U.N. Security Council that includes Syria, one of the world's most active sponsors of terrorism.
Today the terrorists responsible for blowing up our cities are far more evil than the bandits and gunmen faced by the heroes of the Old West. To defeat them, we will require all the more the cowboy's virtues of independence and moral courage.
Even as our European critics use the "cowboy" image as a symbol of reckless irresponsibility, they implicitly reveal the real virtues they are attacking. European leaders assail Americans because our "language is far too blunt" and because we see the struggle between Western Civilization and Islamic fanaticism in "black-and-white certainties." They whine about our "Texas attitude" and whimper that "an American president who makes up his mind and then will accept no argument" is a greater danger than murderous dictators. In short, they object to America's willingness to face the facts, to make moral judgments, to act independently, and to battle evil with unflinching courage.
These European critics are worse than the timid shopkeeper in an old Hollywood Western. They don't merely want to avoid confronting evilthey seek to prevent anyone else from recognizing evil and standing up to it.
Texas Ranger captain Bill McDonald reputedly stated: "No man in the wrong can stand up against a fellow that is in the right and keeps on a-comin'." If America fully embraces this cowboy wisdom and courage, then the Islamic terrorists and the regimes that support them had better run for cover. They stand no chance in the resulting showdown.
That is a false statement. The Hussein regime has long engaged in aiding, comforting, and providing material support to international terrorists, whom we all agree pose a threat to international security.
(b)war is not the way to ease the suffering of the Iraqi people.
Thinking warm, fuzzy thoughts hasn't done very much for them for the past 12 years, now has it? Recall that it was Hussein which ordered the gassing of civilian Kurdish villages in the late 1980s.
Okay, let's see.
Saddam has killed, by conservative estimates, over 1.5 MILLION of his own people, not including those killed through his funding of terrorist activities.
The number of Iraqi casualties in the Gulf War is estimated as up to 100,000, the vast majority of which were military personnel. The estimate of Iraqi casualties in the next war will be far fewer because of the anticipated mass surrenders by Iraqi soldiers. But for argument's sake, let's estimate the casualties at 50,000.
If you would do your math, provided you understand math, you would see that Saddam has inflicted TEN TIMES the amount of "human suffering" the Gulf Wars have and will cause.
Seems to me the Iraqi people are getting a great deal by ousting Saddam NOW.
"Worth" to whom?
It's mighty pompous of you to set a value on the freedom that has been denied for others while you enjoy yours (paid for by the U.S. and British), especially when you have no intention of lifting a finger to help insure it.
We in Europe know great evil men when we see it and we see in Bush an evil, hate filled leader of an otherwise great nation.
You choose to represent Europeans, fine. Impress me again with your brilliant recognition of "evil men." Hitler will be forever mentioned as an evil allowed to breed and multiply and murder millions because of European appeasement. Do not even attempt to preach to us Americans, you self-righteous ingrate. American blood was spilled on the very soil you inhabit now. Your arrogance is only matched by European cowardice.Europe was clueless in the 1930's and your actions now only serve to disprove Darwin's Theory of Evolution. European-elitist snobs have learned nothing.
You might represent the majority of the Europeans, although I pray to God you don't, but even if you do we could add your self-righteous indignation to a French Brigade of soldiers and a West Texas Brownie troop could still kick your asses.
"War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing is worth war is worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." John Stuart Mills
I see your so proud to be european that you wanted us all to know just where you're from...
if for some strange reason your not just a disruptor, you might want to rethink your philosophy thinking that the terrorist network hasn't flown a jet into the vatican, or the eiffel tower yet doesn't mean they won't get to you. crippling the worlds larget center of economy ie. Wall st. has a far more reaching effect that crashing an oil tanker into the cliffs of dover and making a new ink blot to call abstract art to be admired by NWO monkys dreaming of prior conqwest and/or future colaboration put down the wine or snapps sober up and get a clue. The worst thing you can say about my President and I'll say it for you, is that his vocabulary could use tutoring, and his sense of timing is off. black jack chirack and froline shroder can talk but without testicles the words are seriously lacking.
good for the star trek universe.
but if after all this you're just a moron set to cause hate and discontent two thoughts 1 get a hobby like collecting pigeons they're easily kept in cages. 2 F U get off my forum we'd like to discuss real issues!
FRegards PTRBLT
yah. y'all did a great job with hitler.
ya better hitch up yer panties before ya go callin every American ya see a cowboy.
we just might send our daughters to kick yer asses.
don't get me all wrong... i tried to see things yer way, trouble is, i couldn't push my head up there.
Just check my tag line and keep laughing.
I generally stick my head up my own, that's why I know what I'm talking about.
one of their finest military moments.
Are you listening , Jorge?
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