We're Number One

It frustrates my wife, the Divine Mrs. L, when she asks where I would like to eat lunch and I say something to the effect of, whatever you want to eat is fine with me. I really don't care where we eat because I'm easy to please. I really would rather her get her way because she does care. But she wants me to say what I want. Even if she disagrees with it and we end up eating wherever she wanted to eat in the first place she wants me to formulate an opinion.

There is an area where I hold a strong opinion and I find myself frustrated with Americans who cannot or will not take a stand. It has to do with American supremacy in the world. I don't believe anyone doubts that American military might is greater than any other existing military but that's not what I mean. I mean ideaological supremacy.

America is better than Saddam Hussein's Iraq. America is better than Iran. America is better than the taliban controlled Afghanistan. America is better than North Korea. America is better than China. America is even better than France, Germany and Italy.

We are better because we give more freedom to our citizens than those countries do. We are better because we allow dissent, we allow disagreement, we allow diversity.

In order to preserve our ideals and our way of life, we are changing Iraq and Afghanistan. We are giving freedom to the citizens in those countries and allowing them to choose their own governance. We believe that these freedoms will be contagious and will spread to the citizens in some of those other countries I mentioned earlier. We believe that there is room in the world for disagreement with American choices of religion, education, health care, governance, etc. but that freedom to choose those things has no equal.

We're not perfect... but we are better. I get frustrated with Americans who want to apologize for American supremacy. America, with all of it's flaws is still the greatest country in human history. Grasp it. Understand it. Stop apologizing for it. Say it.

This is especially grating when I see people in our country who get sweaty and lathered up about the outcome of a sporting event. They are willing to vociferously state an opinion about a group of men (or women) who are paid to play ball in their state. They are willing to fight... for a colored jersey.

Somebody stand up and do the wave for the red, white and blue. Somebody get a little nuts and paint their face in support of the US Marines. Somebody make a banner for the Navy. Somebody scream "USA! USA! USA!"

After writing this and re-reading it... I was reminded of the Robert Frost quote "A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel." I laughed out loud.