Monday

Miscellaneous Rambling

Happy Pearl Harbor Day, so to speak. * * * * * * * It's a good day to remember the large degree of fiction fed to us by our country's institutions. WWII is often touted as America's greatest moment. And allow no doubt: America flexed some serious muscle and kicked a lot of heinie. It was an impressive military showing. The problem is, the War wasn't much of a success in terms of world diplomacy and alleviation of suffering. We stopped Japan . . . and in the process enslaved hundreds of millions to Chinese communism. We stopped Germany . . . and in the process enslaved over a hundred million behind the Iron Curtain. We stopped Italy . . . and, frick, who couldn't have? * * * * * * * And let's not forget: Part of our success was achieved by our willingness to slaughter, intentionally, hundreds of thousands of civilians, including women and children. * * * * * * * No, if WWII was America's finest moment, then America is a terrible, terrible country. * * * * * * * But I don't think America is a terrible country. I just don't think it has one finest moment. It has had trillions of tiny fine moments: the rule of law allowing people to live their lives moment to moment without tyranny, leading to a vibrant economy, freedom of religion and speech, and the other virtues for which America ought to be celebrated. If we could just machete our state and federal governments back to a reasonable size, America's real source of greatness will continue. People, left unfettered, produce wealth and greatness. The State doesn't. It merely feeds off it. * * * * * * * I've never much been able to get into poetry. I've tried, and I occasionally go to the poetry section in the Breviary, but without much success in stimulating myself. Still, I often get the urge to try it again, like when I read about Siegfried Sassoon.