Intellectual Origins Of America-Bashing
- December 05, 2002
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Garret at dangerousmeta! points to a lengthy but interesting article over at Stanford’s Policy Review about the intellectual origins of America-bashing. Basically, it demonstrates the origins and foundational beliefs behind modern America-bashing. It addresses the far left’s (not just the US far left) portrayal of 9/11 as a justified response to American world oppression. Sadly, this view is also being picked up by the general masses outside of America too.
An interesting quote near the end:
America-bashing has sadly come to be the opium of the “intellectual"… And like opium it produces vivid and fantastic dreams.
And another:
The belief that mankind’s progress, by any conceivable standard of measurement recognized by Karl Marx, could be achieved through the destruction or even decline of American power is a dangerous delusion. Respect for the deep structural laws that govern the historical process, whatever these laws may be, must dictate a proportionate respect for any social order that has achieved the degree of stability and prosperity the United States has achieved and has been signally decisive in permitting other nations around the world to achieve as well. To ignore these facts in favor of surreal ideals and utterly utopian fantasies is a sign not merely of intellectual bankruptcy, but of a disturbing moral immaturity. For nothing indicates a failure to understand the nature of a moral principle better than to believe that it is capable of enforcing itself.
It is not. It requires an entire social order to shelter and protect it. And if it cannot find these, it will perish.
I’m tempted to quote quite a bit, but will refrain. This is a rather long article, but is worth reading.