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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 21-Jan-05
Bush's inaugural address speaks to America's destiny

Web Log - January, 2005

Bush's inaugural address speaks to America's destiny

In a stirring speech, President Bush said that "The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations. The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it." And indeed, "We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom."

In a speech that used the words "liberty" and "freedom" in almost every sentence, he said that if liberty and freedom are goals, then America must play an important part. "We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world. America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one."

He issued a warning to dictatorships by saying, "We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: The moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies."

And he said that America will not stand passively by: "All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you."

I thought it was a great speech, but it's going raise a lot of hackles in some countries. North Korea and Iran will feel especially targeted. We're at a time in history where positions harden. Everybody likes freedom and liberty, but Islamic terrorists will say, "See? He's going to treat all Muslim countries like Iraq."

For me personally, there's a very eerie connection.

Here's what appears on the back cover of my book:

America's Manifest Destiny

Suddenly it's America's destiny to lead the world from terrorism to Freedom and Democracy. How did we get to this point? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? ...

History tells us that there are dangers. There will be shocks and surprises, and economic difficulties. And the greatest danger of all is that America will try to do too much -- overextend itself to the point where freedom and democracy themselves might appear to be in danger.

But history also tells us that we can win over terrorism. By proceeding with caution, America can fulfill its manifest destiny, can defeat terrorism, and can remain the greatest country the world has ever known by bringing freedom and democracy to the rest of the world!

It's not just a coincidence that Bush's inaugural address echoes the theme of America's manifest destiny. The past 60 years have been America's Golden Age. At the end of World War II, America took on the idealistic role of "Policeman of the World," defending freedom and democracy wherever it could.

We really are seeing the climax of America's Golden Age. Since WW II, America became the world's only remaining superpower and now, since 9/11, America's policeman role has gone from being defensive to being preemptive.

Bush's speech captured the sentiment of the moment. But as we head toward the "clash of civilizations" world war, which will be much worse than WW II, the greatest danger facing America is stronger than ever: The danger of hubris, the belief that America can easily win against any opponent. This hubris is all around us, and it will cause us to overextend ourselves, to the point where the entire nation is in danger.

A millennium of Anglo-American history have been leading inevitably to this decisive crisis. Every American will be tested, and we won't know until it's over whether America will even survive, or whether America will enter a another, brand new Golden Age. (21-Jan-05) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 21-Jan-05 Bush's inaugural address speaks to America's destiny

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 21-Jan-05
Bush's inaugural address speaks to America's destiny