A Decline or an Adjustment?

AA...For the first time in American history, American ambition seems to be only power.  Not in defence of it's way of life, but to force others to accept it.  America became great in the eyes of the world because of the perception of equality, equitability, and a free society.  Free from want, from fear, and from oppression.  As you can see, America is not feared as a military power, as in the eyes of those who have nothing, you can only die once.

This I guess would be called "soft power".  The power of persuasion by leadership, confidence, and example.  Once, America had it, but no more.  You see AA, as we look across the sea for enemies to beat into submission, we grow an ideology of disinfranchisement, disallusionment, and displacement at home.  The continuing corruption scandal of our judiciary, and the continued oversteping of boundries of the executive, and most importantly the ignoring of the American people are the first fissures in the undermining of this nation from within.  No, you are right AA, America will not be destroyed by an outsider, it will be destroyed by it's leaders ignoring the dangers our enviornment poses upon us, the constant grasp for power and rapidly dwindling resourses, and the lack of sacrifice by those who gain the most.  As more people feel the pain of disenfranchisement, and the perception of justice becomes polluted by partisanship, privilage, and purse, the more violent our society will become.  I am sure AA, that there will be other al Quieda like attacks, simply because that is the world we live in.  I am sure too AA, that yor are aware that as more people become disallusioned, more people (and not just Muslims) will seek violence as a solution.

I think AA that the solution to this problem is that we bring it home again.  That, instead of using our treasure to horde resourses, ignoring the changing world, and somehow seeing the "American way" as the only right way, we learn to adjust, adapt, and innovate.  Americans once prided themselves as diverse, and used that diversity of ideas to create.  Now, once again, as we live in, and make policies in the spirit of fear, we speak of a homogenious society, and vilify those who are outsiders.  All of the military might in the world will not save us from our fate if we do not change this making irrational decisions based on emotion.

I have heard it said AA (you being a God beliveing person I say this to you) that we can reap the blessings of being compliant to the will of God, or not.  We are in charge of our earthly destiny.  God will not save us if we choose to do things against our best interests.  Insureing that ALL regardless of where they live, who they are, or what religion they practice have freedom from want, freedom from oppression, and freedom from fear is in the best interests of humanity.  This is how, as a child, I saw America. 

I guess I had to grow up.

Assalmu 'alaykum (Peace to you)

Zanubiyah

AA, the first step in solving a problem is to identify it.  If the intent of this post is to ask "how to fix it", you must also see in the view of the person you ask what is wrong.  Perhaps, one of the problems is that you want "some semblance (sp?) of America we remember".  You must remember that in a diverse nation such as America, that memory also will be diverse.  For some, it will be good, but for others, it will not, more than likely dependant on the policies and politics that governed their lives.

Perhaps, seeing America (as a younger woman) as "the shining city on the hill" once and now having my perception tarnished, tossed, but not lost is helpful to you.  I, and most everyone I knew understood America as a place where good people lived.  People who could go about their daily lives not fearing their own government.  They could stand in the middle of the round about of the main intersection and screem their objections without being dragged off in the middle of the night.  When they opened the paper, they would read differing opinions from news that was free of government influence.  When they voted, they had to take a pencil to mark their choices and what they marked would be counted without fraud and without retaliation. If they had to deal with the law, the decisions would be based on fact, and not religious affiliation, political party, privilage or size of the purse.  You would be assured to be treated with dignity, regardless of who you are.  This is how I saw America...yes, a shining city on the hill.

Today, America is still seen as a good place.  The American people are not hated or vilified at all.  People from other places still see a good hearted people who are free and want everyone else to be free.  President Bush once said that it is not the will of America that all people are free, but the will of God.  To me (again, speaking from one beliver to another) I belive that.  I think that we must understand that people from other places make distinctions between the policy of the US towards others, and the American people.  That has always been the case.  Please understand that the "ideologs", needing a reason to exist will say things like "they hate us for our freedom", or "they want to kill us" (remember, never defining who "they" are) in order to create an enemy.  Of course, the "ideologs' on the other side are the only ones that want to kill us.  Ideology, in order for it to remain important must have an enemy, and a savior.  Unfortuantly, we have to ideologies competing, both are dangerous, and both seek to dominate the world.  One seeks it by sheer horror, and the other seeks it by misleading people to give up their freedoms and privacy for safety.

I think that the first step to "fixing" America is to realise that it is not really broken.  America is a dynamic place and always has been.  As I have studied American history, I have realised that Americans go through these kinds of periods frequently.  American politic seems to move like a pendulam, from one extreme to another.  But that is the politic.  As for the American spirit, a good people, who seek good for all people.  Americans who are humane, who cry when other mothers loose thier children to war, poverty, and neglect.  Americans who send help when disaster strikes, Americans who deep down in their souls want everyone to be free from want, oppression, and fear are still there.

Perhaps AA, the way to fix America is to stop making decisions based on fear.  One thing that might help is instead of looking for "leaders", we become leaders.  We need to dash the notion that we need someone to save us, and realise that we are in charge of our own fate.  If we grasp this concept, our resourses will focus on how to make us better as a nation, instead of creating enemies.  We need not take our liberties for granted, or abuse them.  We need to understand that greater freedoms require greater responsibility.  Americans praise that they have the freedom to vote, but don't do it.  Shameful that. 

We need to understand that because a person does not belive as we do, hold up what is prosperous as we do, or live like we do that is is not wrong.  We are not always saving people from bad things because they do not live like us.  Most often there is virtue in other cultures, other ways of life that we miss here in America.  

We need to regain control from the ideologs and regain the manifestaion of good and virtue America once stood for.  Rather than use military might to force others to live like us, we need to understand the "soft power" of persuasion by example.  In other words, we need to take this country back, close the book on the ideologs,  bring them to the justice of public exposure and humiliation and once again look to the will of the people to guide our great nation.

If you are looking for a one, two, three step of specific ways to "fix" America, we simply must reverse what we have done to get to this point.  I think that is being done as we post here.  If you are looking for a permanent solution to keep America from going down this path again, we need to know the problem to insure that it is not repeated.  There is no magic here, but hard work.  The longer we wait, the harder the work will get. 

I say, America is not broken.  Maybe she needs a tuning.

Zanubiyah

Tom Carter...change is always painful.  Perhaps we are changing from a Cadillac to a better, more fuel efficient Cadillac.  Of course, only the oil companies would complian about that.

No Tom, America, at least the one I understand is a dynamic evolving concept.  We are still building it.  I would agree that we are in a delay right now, but in time, after we sort out the weaknesses in our plan, we will continue with all due speed and efficency.