No Good Deed

The most difficult part about reading this anecdote were the words of a Hindi Hindu man (thanks, ricardo) to a certain group of Europeans: the words of a man who has lost much more than any of us ever want to imagine losing.

"Can you let your hatred of George Bush end for just one minute? There are people dying! And what are your countries doing? Amazon.com has helped more than France has. [sic] You all have a role to play in the world, why can't you see that? Thank God for the US Navy, they don’t have to come and help, but they are. They helped you once and you should all thank God they did. They didn’t have to, and no one but them would have done so. I'm ashamed of you all..."

The second most difficult part is to realize, yet again, how much the Europeans have wiped American largesse—even to its former enemies--from their collective memory. The third most difficult part to note was the cluelessness of the average European as to the capabilities of a competent military.

Will the Americans have to come to the aid of Europe again? If it becomes necessary--and we are able--we will. And no one, outside of the most rabid and marginalized isolationist, will protest.

It's obvious that we Americans do not extend our massive resources in times of need in order to obtain love and acceptance or in order to reciprocate any love and acceptance that has been shown to us previously.

We do it merely because it’s the American thing to do.

A lot of us are angry at the nitpicking that’s being perpetrated against our efforts to remediate this most unimaginable of disasters. As my previous post demonstrates, I was among that number. But no more.

I’m humbled by the efforts of my former comrades-in-arms and my civilian countrymen. If the nitpicking continues, but the efforts and resources of Americans and our allies—the Australians, the Japanese, etc.—significantly alleviate the horrors of this catastrophe, then that’s all that matters, in the long run.

Snipe away. You know who you are.

(Thanks to The Anchoress)

Comments

[dblynkpt]

You are so right. It is a waste of time and energy to worry about the nitpickers. They are going to do it anyway. What is important is doing what needs to be done. And aren't those men and women doing a wonderful job? I'm so proud of them I could bust.

[Sean Hankey]

Baldy you are an absolute genius. When the EU tries to attack itself, you know like when France invades Geramny or Poland attacks Sweden like they always do guess who they will turn too yet again to bail them out? And how dare they forget how we bailed their rear ends out 60 years ago. We spend our hard earned tax money on makeing the world safe from Saddam's WMD's (we will find them they will see)while most of them in the EU have a standard of living than the avarage American. Those lazy socialist need to cut out all that welfare since their economy outgrew ours substantailly

[baldilocks]

When the EU tries to attack itself, you know like when France invades Geramny or Poland attacks Sweden like they always do guess who they will turn too yet again to bail them out?

I doubt if such a confused scenario will come about.

However, all of these nation-states need worry about the enemy within: the ones that want them to convert, die or be chattel.

[Sean Hankey]

Baldilocks you are really smart. However I am a little confused about who you are refering to when you say the enemy within. Do you mean commies because I thought we got rid of them? Or are you saying that within each European is an inner communist tring to get out? Please help me to understand.

[A reader]

I think Baldilocks was referring to either to diminishing birthrates and/or uncheck Muslim immigration.

[Sean Hankey]

Thanks for clearing that all up because it sounded like she was talking about commies and I was getting worried they were coming back again. After all Kerry did get 49% of the vote(yikes!). On a related note thank goodness that GWB knows what to do when it comes to American immigration. I dont know how I would sleep at night if I did know he was proteting our borders from illegals

[Solomon]

Reading your post, I'm reminded of what Wesley Snipes' "Blade" character said in his first movie:

Some motherf****** are always trying to ice skate uphill.

That phrase applies to all the nitpickers. Now I have some more words to add about the nitpickers, but I respect your blog too much to say it here. That street thug rears its ugly head in me every once in awhile. :)

[cube]

i agree but for different reasons.

Let it go, disagree and say you disagree frimly and quickly, but do not loudly rant, rave, and complain.

The ranting, raving, and complaining, just makes us look childish

[Rob]

Baldilocks, I think you're right, but there's more here. I think American largesse ruined Europe in a way. We saved their sorry asses more than once and rebuilt their countries after a terrible war.

They can't pay that back, it's simply not possible. The shame of that fact has burned in their minds for decades now and has slowly baked into hatred.

Of course, when you owe a debt that you just can't pay back, you instead pay it forward; helping others in a way similar to how you were helped. The Euros don't seem to get this (the Brits do, I think), which I suppose is just a cultural trait.

It will be interesting to see how Southwest Asia handles this. They probably will never be able to repay the world for its kindness. Instead they should use this as a chance to pay forword their debt and be first in line with the best possible relief effort NEXT time there's an earthquake or hurricane.

[Kong]

"Thanks for clearing that all up because it sounded like she was talking about commies and I was getting worried they were coming back again."

They never left. They are called 'Progressives' now.

Kong

[Jason Bontrager]

If you'll overlook the racism inherent in the poem, I think a stanza from Kipling's _White Man's Burden_ is particularly apposite here.

Take up the White Man's burden--
And reap his old reward:
The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard--
The cry of hosts ye humour
(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--
"Why brought ye us from bondage,
Our loved Egyptian night?"

[baldilocks]

A reader says: I think Baldilocks was referring to either to diminishing birthrates and/or uncheck Muslim immigration.

Nope.

I was referring to exactly what I referred to. No more, no less. I don't do "nuance."

[ricardo]

not to sound like my jockeys are in a bunch but you should have said hindu man. hindi is a language.

[Ricky]

Hi,

I'm trying to pull together a webpage to showcase some of the better black blogs. I've already coined a word -- "blawgs" -- and set up a website I call "Blag Cafe" here: http://blawger.net

My purpose is to get black blawgers talking to each other or whatever other positive ideas may evolve from a central meeting place. To kick things off I've started something call "Blawgs of the Week" to showcase some of the more thought-provoking blawgs.

But the real innovation on the site is that I've set it so everyone who registers has full permissions. This turns it into kind of "wiki" -- each visitor sets the agenda.

For example, on the front page is a news module in which anyone can post an article about anything. If, say, you think your recent blog entry needs to be shared with other bloggers, you need only post it to the front page of the blawg cafe and there it will remain until it's bumped my someone eles's entry.

The Cafe also contains a phpbb forum and really cool chat room, as well as other features such as chess, etc.

Finally, I'd like your opinion about starting a "Black Bloggers Association." When you visit the site, please check out the forum I've started for discussion of this idea.

Thank you,

Ricky Landers

[Sean Hankey]

Baldy you are so smart but I dont understand. In your first post you refered to the enemy within. But then when someone asks you to be specific you say you dont 'do "nuance"'. Baldy you are so smart please help me to understand specifically what you mean.

A reader says: I think Baldilocks was referring to either to diminishing birthrates and/or uncheck Muslim immigration.

Nope.

baldy wrote
>>>>I was referring to exactly what I referred >>>>to. No more, no less. I don't do "nuance."

[Blong]

I sure am glad that we paid those Europeans back in WW2 for the way they saved are behinds back in 1775. But you know I still read where they think we owe them -except for the English of course. Where do they get off.

[baldilocks]

Sean: please point out my referencing an "enemy within." Thanks.

[Sean Hankey]

here you go:

>>I doubt if such a confused scenario will >>come about.

>>However, all of these nation-states need >>worry about the enemy within: the ones >>that want them to convert, die or be >>chattel.

Posted by: baldilocks | January 6, 2005 01:07 AM

You can scroll up on this very page in your own blog and see what you wrote too. please clear this nuance thing up for me

[baldilocks]

Sorry, Sean, but I don't know what you're referring to. There's nothing in this post about an "enemy within."

If you have a question about a specific line, about which you *think* that I'm referencing the above, tell me which line you're having trouble with, and I'll try to make things more clear.

[Sean Hankey]

Not only did I just copy and paste your very own words that you are now denying but I also explained that the original version of what you wrote including your name is on this very same page that contains the same post you are reading right now. Scroll up about 17 posts from this and read your own words. Then come back, take responsbility and answer my original question.

[Walter E. Wallis]

American aid workers are being asked to remove American flags and other national identification from their vehicles to avoid insulting Islamists.
Pull them out until this shit stops.

[Rob]

Baldilocks: he's referring to your post in the comments, not the original post. There, you said, "However, all of these nation-states need worry about the enemy within: the ones that want them to convert, die or be chattel."

Why he thinks this "enemy within" phrase is so important, I can't tell you. It seems to me that you are referring, without nuance of any sort, to Islamic fundamentalists. They are a problem for the likes of France or Holland, because they aren't being assimilated, just warehoused.

[feste]

The History channel recently ran a progam on the Marshall Plan... I did not realize that funding the rebuilding of Europe and Japan was 2-3% of our GPD at that time...after we had been at war for almost five years with a depeleted workforce and limited/overtaxed resources. Still we poured our resources into rebuilding that which their arrogance willfully destroyed.

Seems we might have been wiser to leave Europe for God to sort out...they would still be crawling out from under the Russian boot. I doubt they would hate or envy us any less.

[tre]

Yet we can find bits of truth poking their heads up through the frigid landscape. Keep hunting!

[Armstron Willy]

Yeah but if we did not bail out Europe who would have bought our products from 1945- 1970? How would we have kept the American worker employed? Most of Europe was a significant trading partner of ours.

[Sean Hankey]

Joseph Stalin, Joseph Goebels, Joseph McCarthy all refered to the "enemy within". In Stalins case he meant people that disagreed with communism, Goebels with Jews, gays and communist and McCarthy with Communist and Civil Rights leaders.

When Baldy, a Black woman, refers to the enemy within I find this very disturbing. After she said "the enemy within" I asked her to clarify who specifically she was refering to and she says she "does not do nuance".

[cooper]

In the immortal words of an infamous Frenchwoman: "Let them eat cake", if they need our help any time soon.

We are a nation of great wealth. It is in us to help. We do not ask for thanks very often. But I would insist on it if we were ever to assist France again.

[baldilocks]

Thanks, Sean. As Rob said, I though you were referring to the post. I missed your quote of me above and, for that, I apologize.

It's well-known that the Muslim population of many European countries is quickly increasing. Additionally, some of the clerics espose the Islamic Caliphate credo: that all non-Muslims are to be converted, killed or become slaves of Muslims.

Sudan is exhibit A.

Additionally, I *have* spelled out my very unnuanced thoughts on this subject in other posts, so I did not feel the need to do so here. Here's a link. Here's another.

[David Foster]

"Yeah but if we did not bail out Europe who would have bought our products from 1945- 1970?"...actually, there was tremendous *domestic* demand, as people wanted cars, washing machines, all the things they had been denied during the war. Our economy would have probably done just fine without exporting to Europe.

[StinKerr]

I was born in the UK (1948) and spent the first nine years of my life there. I don't remember seeing any American cars and don't recall any American products. I will note that American owned companies did produce things locally, (Ford, Heinz) but they were all home grown as far as I was concerned. I doubt it was different on the continent. American products were undoubtedly available but were probably too expensive for most people at the time.

IIRC the auto industry was the biggest driving force of the U.S. economy in the 50's and 60's (maybe longer) and they changed styles every year to get the turnover.

[triticale]

>>I sure am glad that we paid those Europeans >>back in WW2 for the way they saved are >>behinds back in 1775.

Casimir Pulaski was acting as an individual, and was viewed as an outlaw and a rebel in his home country of Poland.

As for the French, their contribution, aside from being overrated, was based on a hatred of the British Crown and a misunderstanding of the Revolution. They would never have rushed in to join in the victory had they forseen the nature of the resultant nation.

[Ken]

"We do it merely because it’s the American thing to do."

Well, mainly we did it because Europe had enough wealth to loot that Hitler could loot it and become very dangerous to us. Europe itself has been more trouble than it's worth for quite a while now, and I think the best thing we could have done was to let the Kaiser have it. He was a damn sight better than the guy that eventually replaced him...