[Mr 5 0]

I saw this piece (online) when it came out last September. It hits the nail on the head and is accurate in every respect. Heres my take:

Anti-Americanism is certainly on the rise worldwide and I expect it will continue to be so. Within the U. S. we have a large contingent of liberals that attack not only President Bush and his administration but most everything that makes America great, including simple patriotism, private property rights and the right to not be taxed into near-bankruptcy by an overbearing government bureaucracy that intrudes into every aspect of our lives...always for our own good, of course. This is seen by some foreigners as representing a large part of America, divided and disdainful of our own leaders. Why should they, who do not partake of the bounty that is America, feel warm toward us if our own people are opposed to their government? Not understanding our politics and freedoms, they see us as weakened and divided. Despite the liberals loud cries, we are not weak or divided when it comes to our national security.

Tony Parsons (the author of the piece referenced here) understands that Third World governments not suprisingly resent America's growing world supremacy while they sink ever further into debt and squalor following dictators and despots who build palaces and fill Swiss bank accounts for themselves while their people starve. Europe is also jealous of the Colonies acendance to world supremacy within the past 60 years without the benefit of rigidly class-based social structures and ancient palaces to gaze on while longing for a long-departed glorious past.

No, Americans are not perfect and we make mistakes in foreign policy but as Tony Parson notes, we've been a beacon of freedom in the world for a long time, we've been wildly successful materially and that material success is shared by the many, not the few. We are not bound by a theocracy or a history of monarchy. Our history is one of struggles and heroism along with slavery and even a civil war but most of all, of freedom and doing whats right. Europe, mired in socialism and a concept of foreign policy that is based mostly on appeasment of dictators and geo-bullies, is helpless in the face of real threats and, like a trained bear in a circus, hops up on it's stool and performs it's well-learned appeasment tricks on cue from Saddam and any other foreign thug with a title and an army.

They are embarrassed by a George W. Bush who stands at the podium in the United Nations, looks them in the eye and challenges them to back up their own resolutions and join us in confronting and facing down a Saddam Hussein. The U.S. President even offers to do all the military heavy lifting, but still, excepting Britian's Tony Blair (God bless the gutsy little liberal) they shirk and mutter about hegemony and needing even more time. They embarrass themselves and they know it. Thus, the bad-mouthing of the United States and it's president, who knows evil and a threat when he sees it and has the guts to deal with it, unlike toothless and supine Europe and the useless U.N. debating society.

With that background, I expect to see a lot more America-bashing both abroad and right here at home. Jennings, Brokaw and Rather are at it in their subtle way every chance they get and our home-grown anti-war, anti-Bush anti-America groups aren't going away any time soon. Mired in the empty and long outdated anti-establishment/pro-underdog mindset of the anti-war 1960's these groups soldier on, assuming a misplaced moral superiority as they help power-mad dictators like a Saddam Hussein stay in power and yet attack a decent man like President Bush who only seeks to protect both America and the world from the threat of mass death from chemical and biological agents in the hands of dictators.

To these groups, 'it's all about oil' and 'Bush's ego' and whatever other nonsensical reasons they attempt to contrive to support being against the elimination of a terrorist dictator with dangerous weapons he will use on his neighbors and sell to terrorists to use on Americans. Fortunately, a lot of support for that nonsense is gone now, following Secretary of State Colin Powell's brilliant and unassailable presentation to the United Nations Security Council outlining Iraq's weapons and non-compliance with U.N. Resolution 1441. Saddam's days are truly numbered at this point and we are that much closer to being safer from WMD coming out of Iraq.

Parsons made one other important point: That America, were we not the freedom loving and patient people we are, collectively, could have easily waged nuclear war on the mid-east Muslim nations that are all in some part helping terrorism - and 9/11 - succeed. Of course, we did not and our leadership never even considered such a move. Americans are not collective cold-blooded murderers or crazies with a war lust, as some of the 'peace-at-any-price' crowd always claim. That's an obvious lie and they know it.

Contrary to the 'rush to war' mantra the liberals were recently parroting, President Bush has been methodical and patient in his steady march against Iraq. He made his case to Congress and received their approval for military action. He made his case to the U.N. and received authorization for a possible military action against Iraq. He made his case to the American people and received high approval ratings. Colin Powell made his presentation to the Security Council and removed most doubt, there, as to the need for military action against Iraq. Saddam Hussein could - at long last - actually begin to disarm and destroy his chemical and biologival weapons, but refuses - while he plays hide-and-seek games with the U.N. inspectors. His choice for war, not ours. It's refeshing that Brits like Tony Parsons 'get it' when it comes to America and the War on Terrorism, which we didn't start, but we will win - and end.