Proud to be Grateful

When did it become such a burden to be grateful? When did it become so uncool? There's a whole segment of the American population that doesn't understand the debt we owe our servicemen and women. If that's the way you feel, I doubt I'll be able to change your mind but bear with me for a second.

We enjoy a standard of living above any nation in the world, first world nations included. We have more choice, better infrastructure, more opportunity to achieve. This is all pretty great stuff. That being said, what is the primary condition necessary for all these things to happen? I promise not to get overly Maslowian here but the answer is freedom from violence. Nothing really grand can happen until you are free from violence. That's a fact of life.

Another fact of life is that not all men are good at violence. In fact, most aren't. True, any man can oppress and subjugate the weak but to fight and win against a viable opponent requires more than that. And of those men who excel at this dirty and difficult thing, they can either choose to defend or destroy. That's it. Fight because there's something worth protecting or fight for the sheer fucking badness of it.

Priopr to 9/11, America went through the world like a beautiful woman. Whatever their internal difficulties, beautiful women have it easier than anybody in the human race. Folks like to say that 9/11 changed everything. I like to say that it changed nothing. It just woke some people up. The conditions that created 9/11 still exist and unfortunately will continue to exist for the time being. Yet another fact of life. Market economies and globalization are the only things that can raise the standard of living in the poorest or Gap countries. Yet, the countries most involved in supporting terrorism and/or anti-US activities have educational systems that are all Koran, all the time; preparing their students to fail miserably in the modern world. They instill pride and a sense of entitlement and give their students no way to achieve it. It is the single greatest villancy in the history of the world as far as I'm concerned.

If our ways of life are incompatible and they are, we need men and women who are willing to stand on that wall and protect us from those who would destroy just to have sowed destruction. If you can go to work, home or out to play without worrying too much about violence, you have our military to thank. Gratefulness is not a burden. It doesn't require more of you than to acknowledge it. Don't be the spoiled child who feels indignant rather than grateful. I'm very grateful for every single serviceman an woman serving right now regardless of what they do. That they are there holding the line earns them the deepest gratitude of my heart. Happy Memorial Day!