Check out the Stupid Country blog. Stup is a thoughtful guy who is proud to be a liberal. He is bitterly disappointed that President Bush won a second term (after not winning that first term). Hence, he lives in "Stupid Country."
And yet, Stup seems genuinely liberal enough to keep an open mind. He didn’t like the Iraq invasion justifications that turned out to be untrue, but he’s fair enough to notice Iraq’s democratization has some merit.
As anyone who reads this blog knows, I look at the liberation of Iraq as a liberal cause, a long-overdue rescue mission that jolts the world closer to universal human rights and the lasting peace that only democracies can offer. I readily endorsed the invasion’s first and highest justification – ending Saddam’s repression. So, while I voted for Nader, I was not depressed at the defeat of Kerry, who could not say "Iraq" and "democracy" in the same sentence.
The ultimate race. I keep in mind that no two democracies went to war with each other in the 20th century, and that in those same 100 years dictatorships killed more of their own people than all the world’s wars combined. The lesson: Imperfect as democracies are, their openness and accountability are infinitely safer for individuals and for the world.
I look at the confrontation of the democracies versus the dictatorships as the ultimate race. We in the free half of the world must do all we can to free the other half before the totalitarians combine their lust for power with the technology to seize it.
I’m willing to bet Stup doesn’t disagree with my goals generally, but he’ll argue about how to get there. If he holds to liberalism, standing up for the little guy (and girl), we might agree on a lot. Liberalism is the philosophy of generous hearts and open minds, so how can it go wrong?
Liberals for liberalization. The Iraq war seems to have divided liberals as much as it divided the nation. I’d like to think that, as the debate focuses intelligently on the democratization of Iraq and liberalization everywhere (Can we do anything about China?), we all will find more common ground. But who knows?
And by the way, Stup doesn’t really live in "Stupid Country." He lives in New Jersey. Chin up, Stup. That’s the state of Einsteins!
Frank Warner
I'm willing to accept that this country has its faults. It certainly committed crimes against humanity in the past. Everyone can enumerate the problems that they see from their own particular vantage point. But I hope that all Americans can write as long a list of the virtues of this country and its people. I applaud free speech. I applaud criticism of America, even when deserved. I would never accept government measures to silence the critics, whether they are from the left or right. That is the lesson that has been hardest for us to learn. Europe certainly hasn't learned it yet. You should be able to say anything that's on your mind without fear of retribution.
Nevertheless, I feel that using the name "StupidCountry" is a gratuitous slap in the face, a juvenile attempt to focus attention or what is basically a set of tired arguments. To trumpet such a negative attitude should be embarrassing to the blogger and to all who leave their comments there. No one that I know from New Jersey would talk that way.
Posted by: jj | March 12, 2005 at 03:35 PM