Reflection Day (Victor Davis Hanson)

National Review Online ^ | July 4, 2008 | Victor Davis Hanson

[kellynla]

On this Fourth of July of our discontent — with spiraling fuel prices, a sluggish economy, a weak dollar, mounting foreign and domestic debt, continuing costs in Iraq, a falling stock market, and a mortgage crisis — we should remember two truths about America. First, the United States remains the most free and affluent country in the history of civilization. Second, almost all our problems are lapses of complacency, remain relatively easily correctable, and pale in comparison to past crises.

By almost any barometer, the United States remains the most fortunate country in the world. We continue to be the primary destination of immigrants, who risk their lives to have a chance at what we take for granted. Few in contrast are flocking to China, Russia, or India. The catalyst for immigration is primarily a phenomenon of word of mouth, of comparative talking among friends and families about the reality of modern-day living, not of scholarly perusal of social or economic statistics.

[kellynla]

"We live in the most prosperous and most free years of a wonderful republic, and can easily rectify our present crises that are largely of our own making and a result of the stupefying effects of our unprecedented wealth and leisure. Instead of endless recriminations and self-pity — of anger that our past was merely good rather than perfect as we now demand — we need to give thanks this Fourth of July to our ancestors who created our Constitution and Bill of Rights, and suffered miseries beyond our comprehension as they bequeathed to us most of the present wealth, leisure, and freedom we take for granted."

[kellynla]

I thought I would help you out a little today.

Happy 4th!

[Daveinyork]

Looking out on the political scene, one can get depressed. Mr. Hanson has brought things back into proper perspective. Thank you for posting it.

[rodguy911]

Great thread Kelly!

Victor Hanson is the absolute best at clearing away all the distractions and getting to the point.

Non the less let there be no question that Capitalism/Democracy are under attack by the Marxian left in this country. So far they are winning.

We need to turn that tide and the only way to do it is by exposing what they are up to and continually showing them to be the fools that they are.

[USisBest]

Thanks for the post. VDH is a master of conservative values. The Republican party needs the clarity of message that VDH presents. VDH and RL are true patriots. Long live the USA!

[rodguy911]

You are welcome,lots riding on the next election cycle and like you say we do need the wisdom of a VDH.

[Savage Beast]

Thanks, Vic.

You're right.

[Savage Beast]

"the United States remains the most free and affluent country in the history of civilization"

And if anybody knows, it's Victor Davis Hanson!

[PGalt]

Reflection Day is a great article by VDH. Thanks for posting.

On this Declaration Day another OUTSTANDING, MUST-READ article is here...

http://counterterrorismblog.org/2008/07/jihad_and_supremacism.php

Many thanks to Jeffrey Imm for writing and nw_arizona_granny for linking.

[lawnguy]

I love this guy.

I hate to say it out loud, but I'm afraid we will need a major crisis in our country to shake this spoiled brat attitude.

Then watch out for the riots.

[Tolik]

Thank you, FRiend!

[Reily]

You realize that VDH is actually a Democrat!
He is perhaps that rarest of Democrat breed, a Democrat that actually loves his country. That Democrat species long extinct, the Scoop Jackson Model.

[Reily]

You realize that VDH is actually a Democrat!
He is perhaps that rarest of Democrat breed, a Democrat that actually loves his country. That Democrat species long extinct, the Scoop Jackson Model.

[Tolik]

...two truths about America. First, the United States remains the most free and affluent country in the history of civilization. Second, almost all our problems are lapses of complacency, remain relatively easily correctable, and pale in comparison to past crises

...Given the strength of our system and culture and our inherited values and wealth, as long as we don’t tamper with our Constitution, a uniquely American entrepreneurial culture, and the melting-pot notion of shared values rather than balkanized tribes, races, and religions, we can easily rectify our present mistakes without much reduction in our soaring standard of living. In America alone — for all our periodic hysterical self-recrimination — there is still comparatively little danger of coups, nationalization of foreign assets, crippling national strikes, sectarian violence, terrorism, suppression of free speech, or rampant government and judicial corruption that elsewhere lead to endemic violence and economic stagnation.

...We live in the most prosperous and most free years of a wonderful republic, and can easily rectify our present crises that are largely of our own making and a result of the stupefying effects of our unprecedented wealth and leisure. Instead of endless recriminations and self-pity — of anger that our past was merely good rather than perfect as we now demand — we need to give thanks this Fourth of July to our ancestors who created our Constitution and Bill of Rights, and suffered miseries beyond our comprehension as they bequeathed to us most of the present wealth, leisure, and freedom we take for granted.

    Victor Davis Hanson Ping ! 

       Let me know if you want in or out.

Links:    FR Index of his articles:  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson
                His website: http://victorhanson.com/
                NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp
                Pajamasmedia:   http://victordavishanson.pajamasmedia.com/

[Wyatt's Torch]

On this troubled Fourth we still should remember this is not 1776 when New York was in British hands and Americans in retreat across the state. It is not 1814 when the British burned Washington and the entire system of national credit collapsed — or July 4, 1864 when Americans awoke to news that 8,000 Americans had just been killed at Gettysburg.

We are not in 1932 when unemployment was still over 20 percent of the work force, and industrial production was less than half of what it had been just three years earlier, or July, 1942, when tens of thousands of American were dying in convoys and B-17s, and on islands of the Pacific in an existential war against Germany, Japan, and Italy.

It simply baffles me that liberals today scream about the death of 4,000 soldiers over a 5-year period. While it is tragic that any lives are lost, that is the true cost of freedom. And compare the Iraq casualties to those of Gettysburg...in one day...and Normandy...in one day. Thank God the liberals of today were not in power during the Civil War or World War II. The country would have fallen apart much faster.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Some things never change. By 1864, Democrats were all against the Civil War. Wikipedia — “For 30 years after the war the Democrats carried the burden of having opposed the martyred Lincoln, the salvation of the Union and the destruction of slavery. Finally in 1898 the Democrats recovered by strongly demanding war with Spain.”

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Hanson is another good writer.

Thanks for the ping.