Spengler
The mysterious Spengler has written yet another tingling entry:
To ascribe a special grace to America is outrageous, as outrageous as the idea of special grace itself. Why shouldn’t everyone be saved? Why aren’t all individuals, nations, peoples and cultures equally deserving? History seems awfully unfair: half or more of the world’s 7,000 or so languages will be lost by 2100, linguists warn, and at present fertility rates Italian, German, Ukrainian, Hungarian and a dozen other major languages will die a century or so later. The agony of dying nations rises in reproach to America’s unheeding prosperity.
An old joke divides the world into two kinds of people: those who divide the world into two kinds of people, and those who don’t. America is one of the things that sorts the world into polar opposites. To much of the world, America is the Great Satan, the source of the plague of globalization, the bane of the environment, the Grim Reaper of indigenous cultures, the carrier of soulless industrialism, and the perpetrator of imperial adventures. To hundreds of millions of others it is an object of special grace. Whether one subscribes to the concept or not, America’s grace defines one of the world’s great dividing lines, perhaps its most important.
Violent antipathy to America measures the triumph of the American principle, and the ascendance of America’s influence in the world. America’s enemies make more noise than her friends, but her friends are increasing faster than her enemies. America’s influence in the world leapt as result of her victory in three world wars, including the fall of communism in 1989. Arguably, America is ascending even faster today, despite the reverses in its economic position and the strains on its military resources.
This guy is good, whoever he is. He reads the tectonics of modern geopolitics rather well, don’t you think? Almost spiritual, really.
h/t: Michael Ledeen
As America’s detractors become more vocal and shrill, the U.S. moves forward without looking back. Plenty can still go wrong in Afghanistan and Iraq, for sure. But the (honest) world will judge the U.S. positively by recognizing its power to liberate 50 million Muslims and drive a wedge between the secular/peaceful fundamentalists and the jihadists.
Anti-Americanism has been with the world since before our Revolution, and will be with us as long as we exist for many reasons. But respect is preferable to fleeting friendship, and by leading, the U.S. earns that respect.
Imperialism is one word that cannot be ascribed to our nation. Britain owned that title for centuries. They spent the best of their energies far and wide, subjugating other countries and peoples to keep Britannia ruling. It was the only way known to the Ancient world: conquer or be conquered.
We, however, were born in rebellion. Distinctively, we were born in rebellion to oppressive rulers. Uniquely we were birthed by true Leaders, not rulers; men of no small learning and experience. Has that ever happened before in the history of our planet?
Other men have arisen as would-be dictators, cloaked in a charismatic aptitude for leading the simple. And many have sought to throw off oppressive chains, only to turn and become like their previous overlords.
But our position remains. We reject constricting rulers, we still use our resources and strength to challenge ourselves, first. Heck, we do it for fun. We have to invent XGames and XPrizes just to channel the boundless energy of freeborn men.
Britain used its energies to subjugate others, and now finds itself spineless and enslaved at the last.
I might lose hope,if I thought we were going the way of England, as many believe. But the particular Grace shed on us is nothing short of miraculous, even to a cynic. We may have a better end, having had a better beginning.
Spiritual?
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, …”
Spengler is always refreshing.
Actually, I think Spengler always seems… kind of 3/4 baked. Maybe 5/8. He very compellingly makes his arguments, but then seems to throw in something that makes me wonder if he has a clue of how to interpret the data he is discussing. He reads like an apocryphal gospel– close, but hmm.