Tuesday, April 7, 2009

US No Longer #1


Hat Tip: Lucianne.com

7 comments:

Radu Gherman said...

Number 1 in what? I love that cliche. Facts would be nice. Biggest economy; yes. What else?

Dan Cirucci said...

Well, how can we be Number 1 in anything if our own President is going to other countries apologizing for us?

Radu Gherman said...

We can be number 1 in humility; that's a virtue. And how does apologizing make us less great? Hubris doesn't garner much support; and for the record, do you really think that there's nothing we have to apologize for? Really? Because I can think of a couple.

Actually, I've been meaning to ask you; can you recommend a book that would give a bit of insight into the Reagan presidency? Preferably one that looks at his foreign policy decisions? I'd appreciate the advice, and I think you've read everything there is to read on the subject.

Dan Cirucci said...

Radu:
There are so many fine books about Reagan and Reaganism that I almost don't know where to begin.
No one has covered Reagan longer or better than Lou Cannon. Any book by him (the best known is simply titled "Reagan" and has been updated many times over the years) is good.
I also like Dinesh D'Souza's "Ronald Reagan: How An Ordinary Man Became An Extraordinary Leader."
Exceptionally well-written is Peggy Noonas's "What I Saw At The Revolution."
Reagan's own collection of speeches, "Speaking My Mind" is always helpful.
And from a personal standpoint, Michael Deaver's "A Different Drummer" is most insightful.
More and more books are being written about Reagan every year as he is already a towering 20th Century figure. More will be written.
Best,
Dan Cirucci
PS - When you stop acting like Number 1 you begin to believe you really DO have stuff to apologize for and you begin to stop being Number 1. In the modern world a perception really IS a big part of reality.
Reagan always stood tall, both literally and figuratively. The world respected him for that. And it still does.

Radu Gherman said...

Thanks! I want to gain a bit of perspective from conservative point of view. Especially when it comes to Reagan and the things he did.

As far as our discussion is concerned,

Psalms 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

If you're dedicated to it, then you've got to follow its example.

Dan Cirucci said...

So, now you're drawing from our Judeo-Christian heritage and quoting from the Bible.
That's fine by me as long as you accept that our nation does have a Judeo-Christian heritage and that this heritage has greatly influenced our laws, beliefs and values and that it remains an influence.
Or do you agree with the President that "we are not a Christian nation; we are not a Jewish nation,. . . " etc.?

Radu Gherman said...

No argument here. I'll be the first to acknowledge that this country was founded, guided, and shaped by the Judeo-Christian faith. And it is still an absolute influence on EVERY citizen.
But a large portion of America is not Christian. And one of the things that fascinates me about the evolution of this society is the clash between religion and multiculturalism. I have no idea how this will shake out. I don't really know if religion is a necessity, without which any society will crumble; I also don't know of any society without some sort of belief system. So is guess the US is on the cutting edge of a grand human experiment. That's a number one.

PS - Picked up Cannon's book yesterday. I've read a quarter of it, and you were right. I'll definitely have some questions for you when I'm done.