Can't Think Of a Title (This post is from www.theindividuall.blogspot.com)
I had an excellent "free exchange of ideas" with my mother on politics yesterday. By "free exchange" I mean that we both back into our prospective ideals' corner and slowly beginning getting louder and louder as the conversation progresses. I love my parents, but we just don't see eye to eye with each other on the whole "Bush is bad" theme. Even though my mother has a different idea on politics, I feel it is necessary to hear the other side. All everyone does now is talk their mouths off...whatever happened to good ol' fashioned listening. I used to be a great listener, but then I became this self proclaimed expert on things and I would not listen as much. I realize my faults and that I must listen more. I also realize that when I think of something that someone tells me is terrific then I must share it. My feelings on what America has become.Remember when we used to be respected as a nation of opportunity and freedom? Do you? I vaguely do, but I was so much younger than I am now (even though I'm still but 24). Or at least I remember being taught about this America. Now we've become the godfather of the world. "Pakistan, I'll make you an offer you can't refuse." We are becoming a nation that uses fear instead of gaining respect. You know who else uses fear? That's right the mob and dictators use fear to make people do what they want. It saddens me that we've lost much of our international respect and alliances. Every country has the right to protect itself from destruction and death, but how do we stop this cycle when all we do is cause more of the same. I think I was taught that "two wrongs don't make a right". Sure it sounds corny, and maybe a little to general for the problems that ail the world, but it has to make some sort of sense. I mean, if you kill more and more relatives of people aren't you just going to piss off the surviving ones into hating America more, thus giving terrorists more population to call upon? I believe that the most important thing our next president must do is to regain the respect of the international community. Where to start with this? Well why not jump right into Israel and Palestine...isn't it about time that someone says enough is enough. Imagine the respect the Arab world would give us if we stopped kissing ass to Israel and started holding them to the same "no WMD" standards we have set for the rest of the region. No one is going to conquer Israel anymore (they have allies and a strong military)...besides what would WMD's do in that war except cause even greater problems? But just imagine what would hate filled Arabs say if we rebuilt Palestine? Let us take back the America that we respected and that was respected. That's all I have to say.