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)
