Reflections on the State of the Union
Hey folks! I hope everyone's having a great week so far, even though we're only one day into it. For the most part today was good, although my good buddy Police Fan ended up starting a filthy hippy talking about politics, and then kept spurring him on and then getting back to work so that I had to listen to him. It became increasingly obvious that this waste of space had no clue about anything (which is ironic since he was a retired Navy chief - most of them are pretty sharp), and it ended up driving me out of the bar before I could watch the State of the Union Address. Solution? Go low(er)-tech: instead of watching it on television or online, I made the conscious decision to listen on the radio. The radio is greatly underrated in this day and age, and I hope that it continues to reinvent and renew itself. I never want to face a day without radio.
I'm talking to Sarah Canuck as I listen to President Bush. I think the following exchange is worth noting:
As I told her: I love my president, but I love my nation so much more. I like to believe, though I may be kidding myself, that my love for this great nation is tempered and mature beyond the feelings of so many others. There are so many people who love America unrealistically, because they know nothing else. There are others who see a flawed country, and proceed from the unrealistic assumption that because we're flawed, we're evil. I've seen enough, both here and abroad, to understand that this nation is so amazing despite our flaws; the fact that we accomplish so much good as a nation in contravention of our shortcomings is the essence of what makes America great.
I'm worried about this great nation; I'm worried about our economy, and our politics, and our society. I think that we as a people have made decisions over the course of the last forty or fifty years that have made the future very problematic. Most of all, I fear for our survival and continued relevance, because I worry that we may possess neither the resolve to defend ourselves, nor the discipline to make the hard decisions and sacrifices necessary to keep this nation as great as it is. Even so, I love this nation so much, and I hope very much that we can resolve the problems that face us.
I apologize, because I had hoped to post my own State of the Union address tonight. The evening snuck up on me, and the work just didn't get done - or even started. I still plan to post something of that sort in the coming days. Until then, I'll merely note that although I don't agree with everything President Bush has done, or everything he said tonight, I respect him greatly. I truly believe, based on my knowledge of history, that he will be remembered as one of our great presidents. I pray that God will continue to bless and protect him, and that God will continue to bless the world by blessing and guiding this greatest nation on God's green Earth.
I'm talking to Sarah Canuck as I listen to President Bush. I think the following exchange is worth noting:
Sarah Canuck: I think it's good that you're so into your politics.
The Fly: Yeah, but I don't see it as politics. I realize that politics touches it, but it's purer than that for me.
As I told her: I love my president, but I love my nation so much more. I like to believe, though I may be kidding myself, that my love for this great nation is tempered and mature beyond the feelings of so many others. There are so many people who love America unrealistically, because they know nothing else. There are others who see a flawed country, and proceed from the unrealistic assumption that because we're flawed, we're evil. I've seen enough, both here and abroad, to understand that this nation is so amazing despite our flaws; the fact that we accomplish so much good as a nation in contravention of our shortcomings is the essence of what makes America great.
I'm worried about this great nation; I'm worried about our economy, and our politics, and our society. I think that we as a people have made decisions over the course of the last forty or fifty years that have made the future very problematic. Most of all, I fear for our survival and continued relevance, because I worry that we may possess neither the resolve to defend ourselves, nor the discipline to make the hard decisions and sacrifices necessary to keep this nation as great as it is. Even so, I love this nation so much, and I hope very much that we can resolve the problems that face us.
I apologize, because I had hoped to post my own State of the Union address tonight. The evening snuck up on me, and the work just didn't get done - or even started. I still plan to post something of that sort in the coming days. Until then, I'll merely note that although I don't agree with everything President Bush has done, or everything he said tonight, I respect him greatly. I truly believe, based on my knowledge of history, that he will be remembered as one of our great presidents. I pray that God will continue to bless and protect him, and that God will continue to bless the world by blessing and guiding this greatest nation on God's green Earth.
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