Today class, we are going to speak on convictions, respect and war. You may want to take notes. You know sometimes when there are two opposing sides and you are on one side and there are those on the other side that complain, protest and stick to their guns year after year? In time, even if you do not agree with them, you do tend to develop a certain amount of respect for the fact that they are so firmly grounded in their beliefs to stick with them for the long haul. This has been the anti-war movement and myself. I have always felt that there are times that you must fight for things on both a small and large scale. To me war is large scale and when we as a country are threatened or called upon to protect, sometimes war is the only way. The anti-war brigade though feel that there is always a better way and will preach this sentiment from the roof tops.
WWII was a war we really had no choice in. We saw it coming but Pearl Harbor was the last straw and it was on. As a country we drew together and fought the enemy. There really wasn't any other recourse and men and women were proud to serve their country anyway they could. Since that time though, we have been drawn into some questionable wars. Because of this a growing liberal populace have become very anti-war. During the mid to late sixties the anti-war protesters began taking a new pulpit when high profile people such as singers and even movie/tv stars began using their popularity as a way to get their message to the masses. Woodstock and the Monterrey Pop Festival were nothing but a constant stage full of musical anti-war messages and.....the people were listening. Now 40 some year later, we still have liberal celebrities speaking out against wars. Any wars. All wars. Some are the same people who began speaking out in the 1960's and some are merely a new generation who have decided to carry the torch.
Peace! What a wonderful thought but not all countries want peace and not all people want to live in peaceful harmony. Still though....the anti-war Hollywood elite can still be heard protesting the talk of war right and left. You have to give them credit for wanting something so beautiful and speaking out decade after decade even if world peace is but a pipe dream at this point. Some have taken their battle cry to offending countries hoping that their world wide celebrity might somehow make them ambassadors of peace and good will, unfortunately some bash the United States of America in the process thus leaving other countries with a mixed message about how Americans feel about themselves and their country. Still though....I too would like to see eventual peace, therefore I do have a modicum of respect for the ideals that Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Cheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen and all the other liberal anti-war celebs who continue to use their celebrity as a soapbox have. That is why recent events have me quite baffled.
Syria, a little country that has virtually nothing to do with the USA used chemical warfare on their own people. I guess that is called civil war by most standards. Civil wars have happened in most countries at one time or another....even in America. What happened in Syria was an atrocity and devastating, but quite frankly....not our fight. Still President Obama for some reason decided we should bomb the hell out of Syria because of this civil war. Many Americans that have supported wars in the past such as the Iraq war after 9/11 are now loudly saying "No! This is not our war!" Syria does not want us involved, Syria's allies don't want us involved and most of the American people don't want us involved and yet the president somehow feels we should be involved. There are those that say if we do get involved, we could be opening the door for WWIII and with both chemical and nuclear warfare likely to be used....there aren't too many that are going to come out on the good side of this. In fact....it is doubtful if there would be a good side when all is said and done. So where are Sarandon, Penn, Crow, Springsteen and the rest of the anti-war celebs? Crickets.
These people who have taken every opportunity to protest war since the mid 1960's have suddenly and quite obviously been struck deaf, dumb and blind....otherwise they would realize that of all the war they have protested, this would be the one they would likely get the majority of the country behind. I have waited for Penn to angrily disavow the very idea of this war and berate Obama for even thinking of such an act. Sean Penn....where are you???? I have waited to see Sarandon holding an anti-war sign somewhere....anywhere and speaking out for peace. I have waited to see Crow and Springsteen use their stage to say that this president is in the wrong and the people need to rally support against the thought of this war, but there has been nothing. Have these people all left the country or is there something more to this?
Earlier this week, Breitbart posted an interview with liberal anti-war actor Ed Asner on why Hollywood is suddenly silent. His answer? The left are afraid of looking racist for speaking out. WTH????? These celebs have spoken out against war during every preceding presidency since the 60's and they were never afraid of offending anyone before now, but because Obama is black they are afraid of speaking out for fear of being labeled racist????? Are you kidding me???? Asner went on to give a few other less than credible excuses for the lack of Hollywood response but the glaring truth was evident. These celebs were living in fear of looking "anti-black!" Nice. So all of this anti-war, give peace a chance and war is murder talk that we have been hearing from these people for decades was in fact just a load of crap? Apparently their convictions about war aren't quite as strong as they have let on, and out the window goes any respect I had for them and their so-called beliefs. They have officially lost any credibility in my opinion and in the opinions of many Americans.
Okay class, so what have we learned today? Syria is not our war, so we need to stay out of it. No one including Syria, the United Nations and Syria's allies want us involved in this. Oh...and we also learned that the Hollywood anti-war elite are nothing but a bunch of spineless entities whose convictions are about as strong as a wet kleenex. Class dismissed!
Excellent blog. I have been thinking the same thing.
ReplyDeleteYes Sean, where are you?
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Asner,
ReplyDeleteWhat does race have to do with right and wrong?