When the phone rang, I was in that twilight of semi-sleep, my girlfriend having gotten up and left with an early call on set that day, squeezing my eyes shut against the growing sunlight through the window.
You won't win many friends with this column but it needed to be said. I expect lots of articles today moaning about the 3000 dead 20 years ago. But forgetting the 10s of millions killed by Americans directly or indirectly before and after. I just read an article in the New Yorker about the Afghan war as told by the rural women who lived through it. Throw in Indonesia, Granada, Panama with all the others you list and is there any place on earth that doesn't have reason to hate America?
I just finished that article last night. It strikes me that the people nominally in charge can never remember that those countries like Afghanistan where we have created so many widows and orphans, are populated by people who can, will, and do carry a bone deep grudge for multiple generations. And they are not going to forget who killed great grandpa and grandma, not for hundreds of years.
Some of us, possibly including you, have known that since the book came out by which comment I date myself. Today's letter is an overview of history the way it would be written if there was a drive to make some changes. If enough of us read and share it, maybe there will be.
Interestingly, in the book, the character of "the ugly American" was a good guy. An older guy so not good looking that the natives in the unnamed SE Asian country (the Philippines, actually, during the HUK rebellion after the war and through the 50s), who was selfless in working to help the people learn modern agriculture to better themselves. Only to be killed by the communists for being effective.
Given that the authors were great "liberal" supporters of some of the worst excesses of the Cold War, not actually. It's another play on the "innocence: of America, which only wants to Make Things Better.
But there was a substantial amount of honest appraisal of the 'official' approach to both the conflict and the countries involved that hasn't changed in the interim. Many, maybe most, Americans are innocent of what happens in DC and the business centers of the country and are, or would be, shocked if they were confronted with it. Bob McNamara's tell-all on Vietnam would have been a shocker to them if they'd read it, it was just verification for the rest of us. A lot also depends on one's definition of better; Afghanistan worked out quite well for the armament and military equipment makers.
I need a sad emoji, with an angry one to express my thoughts about the M/I complex and their reasons for wanting to prolong the Afghan misadventure for as long as possible.
One of my few regrets in life, and there are several, is the length of time it took to open my eyes to the realities of the Government, and the Country that I so willingly served for years, and continued to support without question for years later. It took 9/11, and the Shrubs Daddy Issue inspired attack on Iraq to make me wake up. Thanks, Tom for reminding me again of what it is we are opposing.
What TC? The Oleo Strut Coffeehouse? What a concept. Tell me more. Tell me more. I know a strut is something in an engine. Is that where the name came from? Is there anything today resembling what grew within Oleo Strut walls?
An oleo strut is a "shock absorber" in aircraft landing gear - absorbs the shock of touching ground again - Fort Hood was the "holding center" for returned Vietnam Vets with 3-12 months left on their enlistments.
I have said this before but I really like the way you tell the story through your own experience as well as your larger knowledge. You surely describe the ugly under belly of the beast in which we are complicit in our own times. Want to share this thought of Christian Wiman I found in his book , My Bright Abyss, which I read to ward off despair at our wilful destruction in the world (M/I):
" Radical change remains a possibility within us right up until our last breath. The greatest tragedy of human existence is not to live in time, in both senses of that phrase." You are a good example of someone living IN your time, as well as living in time to help us pull the threads together.
( I read Shakira's story in the NYT. I know why they hate us!!)
You won't win many friends with this column but it needed to be said. I expect lots of articles today moaning about the 3000 dead 20 years ago. But forgetting the 10s of millions killed by Americans directly or indirectly before and after. I just read an article in the New Yorker about the Afghan war as told by the rural women who lived through it. Throw in Indonesia, Granada, Panama with all the others you list and is there any place on earth that doesn't have reason to hate America?
I just finished that article last night. It strikes me that the people nominally in charge can never remember that those countries like Afghanistan where we have created so many widows and orphans, are populated by people who can, will, and do carry a bone deep grudge for multiple generations. And they are not going to forget who killed great grandpa and grandma, not for hundreds of years.
All of us, guilty. But at least some of us realized how ugly we Americans really are.
Some of us, possibly including you, have known that since the book came out by which comment I date myself. Today's letter is an overview of history the way it would be written if there was a drive to make some changes. If enough of us read and share it, maybe there will be.
Interestingly, in the book, the character of "the ugly American" was a good guy. An older guy so not good looking that the natives in the unnamed SE Asian country (the Philippines, actually, during the HUK rebellion after the war and through the 50s), who was selfless in working to help the people learn modern agriculture to better themselves. Only to be killed by the communists for being effective.
Read it a long time ago. Shaped some of my attitudes of todsy
Time to read (and promote) it again.
Given that the authors were great "liberal" supporters of some of the worst excesses of the Cold War, not actually. It's another play on the "innocence: of America, which only wants to Make Things Better.
But there was a substantial amount of honest appraisal of the 'official' approach to both the conflict and the countries involved that hasn't changed in the interim. Many, maybe most, Americans are innocent of what happens in DC and the business centers of the country and are, or would be, shocked if they were confronted with it. Bob McNamara's tell-all on Vietnam would have been a shocker to them if they'd read it, it was just verification for the rest of us. A lot also depends on one's definition of better; Afghanistan worked out quite well for the armament and military equipment makers.
Yes, it does depend on one's POV. And those for whom it worked out well should continue to plan every way they can to Keep America Somnolent.
And I'm confident they are doing just that.
I need a sad emoji, with an angry one to express my thoughts about the M/I complex and their reasons for wanting to prolong the Afghan misadventure for as long as possible.
😣
Made my brother very rich.
I just promoted it to a colleague two days ago.
Nicely done, TC.
One of my few regrets in life, and there are several, is the length of time it took to open my eyes to the realities of the Government, and the Country that I so willingly served for years, and continued to support without question for years later. It took 9/11, and the Shrubs Daddy Issue inspired attack on Iraq to make me wake up. Thanks, Tom for reminding me again of what it is we are opposing.
What TC? The Oleo Strut Coffeehouse? What a concept. Tell me more. Tell me more. I know a strut is something in an engine. Is that where the name came from? Is there anything today resembling what grew within Oleo Strut walls?
An oleo strut is a "shock absorber" in aircraft landing gear - absorbs the shock of touching ground again - Fort Hood was the "holding center" for returned Vietnam Vets with 3-12 months left on their enlistments.
Such important insights.
Flattery will get you *everywhere* Rowshan. :-)
I have said this before but I really like the way you tell the story through your own experience as well as your larger knowledge. You surely describe the ugly under belly of the beast in which we are complicit in our own times. Want to share this thought of Christian Wiman I found in his book , My Bright Abyss, which I read to ward off despair at our wilful destruction in the world (M/I):
" Radical change remains a possibility within us right up until our last breath. The greatest tragedy of human existence is not to live in time, in both senses of that phrase." You are a good example of someone living IN your time, as well as living in time to help us pull the threads together.
( I read Shakira's story in the NYT. I know why they hate us!!)