From: Dehede011@aol.com
Date: Fri Dec 27 2002 - 06:32:01 MST
In a message dated 12/26/2002 11:39:47 PM Central Standard Time,
samantha@objectent.com writes: There is a very valid question of whether we
are claiming the right and intent to become the biggest and most dangerous
rogue nation of all.
Samantha,
It seems to me we are at a cusp in the affairs of man. McGee is
saying that we're in the early stages of a new renaissance. He says further
that we have had several renaissances before and none have been particularly
gentle on mankind. Thomas L. Friedman in his book The Lexis & the Olive Tree
is also predicting a clash. If you read the Bell Curve and follow the
resulting argument you will find evidence that back about 1900 the economy
became sufficiently high tech that the five or ten percent of the brightest
people became favored to run that economy. Since then that segment of the
population has been coming into community and taking over the operation of
the society. The Extropians in turn have their own reasons for see dramatic
change afoot.
But it seems to me that in the midst of this change we still have an
assumption that we can analyze what is going on using the standards and
thought processes of yesterday.
You question whether or not the U. S. is becoming a Rogue Nation. You
or others use the term Empire in connection with the U. S.
Of course we are a rogue nation to every citizen on this globe that
demands we do things their way or serve their needs instead of out own.
We are frightening to every country that is capable of settling
Sadaams hash themselves but would prefer that we suffer the death of a
thousand cuts rather than possibly unleash something they cannot control.
But none of that means that we are wrong to look out for ourselves.
We once defeated Germany and occupied that country but we got out and
returned the country to the Germans. We did the same with Japan. We did not
defeat France but we ran the Germans out before returning the country to its
owners. Cuba, the Philippines, and others are also free to do as they please
because of us. The evidence is that we can be trusted to do the responsible
thing despite the mutterings of tired old socialists in their dusty berets
nerves a jangle from contemplating their latest failures and drinking too
much expressio in their coffee houses.
Yeah Samantha, I know I over did the expression in that last
paragraph. <G> But the hysteria over our knocking down Sadaam before he
triggers a bomb is also vastly overblown. Empire? Rogue? What else?
Ron h.
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