Hear, hear, Peter. Thanks for that. Our military deserves our undying gratitude, no question, but they also deserve their lives to not be wasted. Here's a foriegn policy that's worked for 4.5 billion years: don't want to get stung? Stop poking the hornets' nest. We're not there because they want to kill us -- they want to kill us because we're there.
But I digress. This is neither the time nor place for such diatribes and debates, but as long as we're mentioning things we're thankful for, I'm certainly thankful for our military, all military past, present and future, and I'm thankful to be a part of this group of collectors. I learn so much from you all, not only from your phono wisdom, but in many cases from your kindness and generosity as well. I hope everyone has a fabulous day today. Best to all, Robert ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Fraser" <pjfra...@alamedanet.net> > ok, folks, enough jingoism - please. > > we're all grateful to the veterans and others who have put themselves in > harm's way on our behalf, but can we keep it separate from the often > ill-conceived (or worse) policies that created the harm in the first > place? > > as for me, i'm thankful and proud that we've democratically replaced a > dangerous crackpot and avoided the continuation of his foolhardy > policies, and now have an opportunity to restore the lost respect and > regain the lost trust the US once enjoyed on the world stage. and > through that we'll regain more safety than any number of troops could > ever secure. > > to get back on topic, while also giving an example of how some things > never change, now i'm going to pull out my copy of James Gerard's record, > "Loyalty," on the Nation's Forum label. he was the US ambassador to > Germany prior to the US entry to WW1. > > you can listen, too; just click here: > > http://tinyurl.com/5vuotg > > here's a transcript: > > "Loyalty" > > I know that it is hard for Americans to realize the magnitude of the war > in which we are involved. We have problems in this war no other nations > have. Fortunately, the great majority of American citizens of German > descent have, in this great crisis of our history, shown themselves > splendidly loyal to our flag. Everyone had a right to sympathize with any > warring nation. But now that we are in the war there are only two sides, > and the time has come when every citizen must declare himself American -- > or traitor! > > We must disappoint the Germans who have always believed that the > German-Americans here would risk their property, their children's future, > and their own neck, and take up arms for the Kaiser. The Foreign Minister > of Germany once said to me "your country does not dare do anything > against Germany, because we have in your country 500,000 German > reservists who will rise in arms against your government if you dare to > make a move against Germany." Well, I told him that that might be so, but > that we had 500,001 lamp posts in this country, and that that was where > the reservists would be hanging the day after they tried to rise. And if > there are any German-Americans here who are so ungrateful for all the > benefits they have received that they are still for the Kaiser, there is > only one thing to do with them. And that is to hog-tie them, give them > back the wooden shoes and the rags they landed in, and ship them back to > the Fatherland. > > I have travelled this year over all the United States. Through the > Alleghenies, the White Mountains, and the Catskills, the Rockies and the > Bitterroot Mountains, the Cascades, the Coast Range, and the Sierras. And > in all these mountains, there is no animal that bites and kicks and > squeals and scratches, that would bite and squeal and scratch equal to a > fat German-American, if you commenced to tie him up and told him that he > was on his way back to the Kaiser. > > and now that i've got that out of my system, i'm going to go make a > couple of pumpkin pies. > > best to all of you, no matter what. > > -- peter
