In the midst of the furor over how bad is Bush, how good was Clinton and so on, I thought it might be interesting to have a discussion about what Presidents of the past we admire and why. I see a lot about how history will judge the current administration, about how things that seem wrong now will seem noble in retrospect. So tell me. Who do you love?
When Patriotism Becomes Isolationism
We hear a lot these days about Patriotism. Those who support the war in Iraq and the War on Terror and all its endeavors are Patriots. Those who question the policies of the Administration and are in favor of bringing home the troops are Un-Patriotic. Those who profess eternal vigilance and protest the overreach of our current Administration are Patriotic, while those who feel that the Patriot Act and similar legislation protect us from another terrorist attack are Un-Patriotic. All of these can be right or wrong, depending on your definitions and your point of view. Personally, I think that if you love your country, for whatever reason, you are a Patriot. You will take whatever action you feel is right to support and guide it.
But there is another label that has been cropping up here and there in political arguments for years. One that no one wants to have thrown at them. The kiss of death for any reasonable discussion you may have going:
Isolationist.