The American Way:
Some words or phrases carry with them some sort of virtuous truth wrapped in a layer of beyond-discussion sanctity. When reason or logic fails these words are employed as the last and final measure to put the matter to rest. Sort of like the parent ending the matter with the ultimate closure "because I say so, that's why'. I know as kids we always naively saw this final edict as some sort of logical victory on our part, an admission by the parent that the only reason for their victory was their power over us. It took a certain amount of maturing for us to find this a useful tool ourselves. Many sophisticated tyrants learn to camouflage their personalized arrogance with words or phrases like "the American Way", "unAmerican", "motherhood", "sanctity", "manifest destiny", "the flag", "unpatriotic", "family values" etc. There must be at least a dozen of these phrases used to close down an argument when all else fails. These are kind of neat tools to use. If anyone persists after you lower the boom, you can simply ask, "What part of the word "unAmerican" don't you understand?" Admittedly, these words or phrases don't work too well unless you represent the majority viewpoint on something.
Some of us never supported attacking Iraq. Today a huge majority think it was a mistake to have done so. Nevertheless, it is claimed, right or wrong this venture, we are obligated to support the troops. I agree. I think I have supported our young people. I said don't send them in the beginning. That would have saved the lives of well over 3000 of our troops. And I still support the troops by saying bring them home, take them out of harm's way in an ill advised war which is just generating an ever increasing number of terrorists across the globe. Our behavior in Iraq has become the rallying cry for dissidents of all ilk and location across the world. No American soldier should ever be asked to die in a war with such ever changing nebulous reasons for the war. The rallying cry now is "America cannot afford to lose this war". Really? Wasn't that the final desperate plea for not ending the Vietnam War? And since when should any country win a war when the reasons for entering the war were false? "My country, right or wrong", is hardly a noble notion for wrapping yourself in any kind of flag. This country never achieved any greatness by the blind leading the blind. A really strong and secure country should not be afraid to admit mistakes, to face the truth, to apologize for arrogant behavior. We need a President honest enough to tell the world: "We screwed up in Iraq. As a consequence we have become a large part of the problem. We have ended up in a position of being just another faction over there trying to impose our will through violence and killing. If the other factions won't stop killing each other, we will. Hopefully in our absence they will tire of killing each other, or accept the UN or the Arab League, or some outside party to help them negotiate a settlement amongst themselves. It is not the business of America to dictate the form of government or who runs Iraq. As long as we can purchase oil at market prices, we will respect the sovereignty of Iraq. America will remain ready to assist all countries in the global problems of the environment, poverty, civil rights, religious freedom, and work collectively with other countries to address these pressing global problems. We reject the use of violence to solve conflict except in cases of territorial invasion of one country by another or genocidal attacks by any government against it's own people. In these cases the U.S. will join with others, also outraged by such behavior, to militarily protect the victims. To fully support the use of negotiation, compromise, and world courts to solve global conflicts we will no longer be in the business of selling vast amounts of arms to other countries which end up mostly being used against their own people. The vast amount of money now being used to support a huge military presence all over the globe will be redirected to the global problems listed above. Our new foreign policy will be one seeking to help ourselves and others find ways to foster responsible reproduction, efficient use of global natural resources, protection of the environment, improving health care for the people of the world, achieving a global economy with minimal living wages, and the use of non military means to resolve conflicts. The frontier in America is gone. The wild west mentality that characterized it needs to disappear too. The world has changed. The principles upon which America was founded have not. In the spirit of Lincoln, adopting the wisdom of Lincoln, using the founding principles of freedom and justice for all, the U.S. will once again strive to be a beacon of hope for all those oppressed at home and abroad."
So the question begs, "what is the American Way?". There is no pat concise definitive answer considering the breadth of American diversity. I have no clear answer why, lollagaging on a bench one late afternoon at Cantigny (an estate I while away many hours of my terminational years) I pondered a matter of this sort. It is odd, but in my productive years thoughts were along the lines "why are we doing this or that?". In my terminational years my thoughts are more along the lines of "why are they doing this or that?" It is not just from my 11th floor condo that things seem more distant. I think from a more neutered distance one is more likely to see the forest for the trees, albeit maybe that is more me than any generalized truth. Strange, but all this introspection about life has a mellowing impact on me, a sort of calming predominance tinged with a good dose of inevitability---a variant of whatever will be will be. The miniscule role each of us plays in this created evolutionary process of our universe begins to register, at long last, on my consciousness---and I begin to finally accept I will not get out of this world alive. This is not so much any sadness as it is acceptance, a willingness to go gently down the terminational stream of life. On my short little trip back home from the estate I wouldn't care to guess the number of cars I pass on the road all filled with people looking more and more to me like colonies of ants scrambling hither and thither, each with this inflated concept of their importance in the overall scheme of things. The only thing I conclude from it all is that it is not important to be that important at all. Just observe, enjoy, let the only meaningful unique thing about any of us---our thoughts---be the substance of our sustenance in the final lap of life. As I come spinning off the final turn of the final lap of life it finally dawns on me there is no first, second, third or any other place finish to this race. After all the pushing and shoving it is a dead heat, death is the ultimate leveler and we are all dead in the long run. Damn, who says God has no sense of humor. Why aren't you laughing? Whatever happened to youthful invincibility? Perhaps it is true, "Only the Shadow Knows". Suppose he died? Uh Oh. then nobody knows.
But back to the American Way. To me, the American Way is based on liberty and justice to all. The key words are LIBERTY, JUSTICE, and ALL. It is easier to understand liberty and justice as it applies to ourselves, but far harder to genuinely accept the ALL part of it, and a good deal of the time the ALL gets overlooked. Far too often liberty and justice for ourselves suffices. Do we have good health insurance? Good enough. Do we have the where with all to compete successfully in life? Good enough. And so it goes, this constant perception of liberty and justice seen through the prism of our own existence. That others ick up the picture becomes an annoyance, like liberty and justice have obvious limitations---after all any pie is just so big. We spend a lot of life teaching ourselves and those close to us to grab a piece of the pie, the bigger the better, run home with it, and guard it with intensity. To the extent we succeed all is well. Of course all is not well with a bunch of others. If our piece of the pie is big enough we can even gate ourselves off well away from those less fortunate. Outside of some vague patronizing mumblings, often in some church pew, we really don't like these others, we fear them, don't trust them, and rarely hesitate to support any laws which will put them in jail, or at least keep them contained in their place. What their place is or why they are where they are is not something much on our minds.
Lincoln said this about his concept of good government: In our system of government "we proposed to give all a chance; and we expected the weak to grow stronger, the ignorant wiser; and all better, and happier together." The key words here are ALL, CHANCE, GROW, BETTER, and HAPPIER. He also made clear, "I am for the people of the whole nation doing just as they please in all matters which concern the whole nation; for those of each part (the states) doing just as they choose in all matters which concern no other part; and for each individual doing just as he chooses in all matters which concern nobody else." This neatly clarifies how far the freedom of the whole and it's parts extends, especially the clause "in all matters which concern nobody else". Lincoln again: "I have often inquired of myself, what great principle or idea it was that kept this (nation) so long together. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weights should be lifted from the shoulders of all men, that all should have an equal chance. This is the sentiment embodied in that Declaration of Independence." Again key words here are ALL and "EQUAL CHANCE". Finally, Lincoln advised, "To correct the evils, great and small, which spring from want of sympathy, and from positive enmity among strangers, as nations or as individuals, is one of the highest functions of civilization." I guess each of us has to assess where we as individuals and as a nation are today on any "want of sympathy" or "positive enmity" among strangers.
To me, the last two paragraphs kind of sum up what I perceive to be the spirit of the 'American Way". Others may well interpret the American Way differently. Freedom of religion is under assault by those who think their own religious beliefs should be the law of the land and only to the extent govt laws match their own religious beliefs are they satisfied. When Lincoln was pressed as to why he did not belong to any church he replied, "When any church will inscribe over its alter, as its sole qualification for membership, the Savior's condensed statement of the substance of both law and Gospel, 'Thou shalt love they Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul and thy neighbor as thyself', that church will I join with all my heart and all my soul." That is pretty much is my sentiment too. I am just sick of the religious right of most every major religion creating so much hostility across the world. I suppose they are at least up front with their "want of sympathy and positive enmity". I wish, if anger is the substance which gives meaning to their lives, that they would at least direct their anger toward those people and policies which promote suffering, injustice, unequal chances, lack of freedom, lack of good schools, lack of health care, etc. If all these people across the globe waving flags, waving bibles, and chasing heathens with a glazed fiery look in their eyes were to approach the issues of health, education, protecting the environment, living wages, etc. with the same zealousness, think how much progress could be made toward liberty and freedom for all. I admire their determined energy and despise the focus of their efforts.
In the end maybe their is no 'American Way'. We are a diverse country with diverse cultures, talents, religious beliefs, personalities, etc. Still, the words of our founding fathers and Lincoln remain the last best hope of governance for such a diverse population. Where are Abe and the founding fathers when we need them? "Gone to graveyards every one......when will we ever learn?...."
