AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth
Putting aside the "glory" of the British Empire and what that actually meant to those under its rule (my family lived unenthusiastically under the Empire), a very interesting read by retired British Army General Michael Rose on the defeat at Yorktown and what it meant at the time to the UK and how the country bounced back to its most successful days. Some similarities to our own struggles in Iraq with regards to the failures of war strategy and what withdrawal might mean, but what I find most interesting is what happened after the failed war. It really cuts to the heart of the issue here, that those in favor of the continuing war in Iraq are fundamentally afraid of our future and are riddled with pessimism about our ability to bounce back as a nation.As an American but also an outsider as both an expat and someone who has had the good fortune to travel across five continents and plenty of countries both rich and poor, one of our greatest strengths as a nation is our ability to bounce back and to accept change. Did the country collapse after Vietnam? Hardly. It took a few years to recover economically but the US did bounce back and was the economic envy of the world back in the 1990s. Just as the US has recovered in the past from failed ventures, I have complete confidence that we will recover again but we have to have the courage to admit the mistake and to move on.
The Republicans and pro-war people can shake in fear for the future but that's their problem and fear is all they've had to offer since 9/11. I have a lot more confidence that America will find it's own Pitt or a new FDR who isn't afraid of the future and we will be just fine. We just need some backbone to make the tough decisions today and our creative spirit along with our best days will be ahead. We just need a bit of faith in ourselves.
