explore the cleanness of its hands and purity of its heart."
Do you think Emerson's observation applies to America today when any criticism of the Bush Administrations handling of the war or our military leaders bring charges of being unpatriotic?
2007-10-20 05:29:03 · 13 answers · asked by rec 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
I agree...
I do not agree with all that the Bush administration has done nor do I disagree with all that it has done. That being said it is easy for me to say I am overall pleased. Most impressive about Pres. Bush is that he is more concerned with what is right and not what is popular. To me that is also very patriotic. Unlike Clinton who disgraced the office of President and would do or say what ever depending only on to whom he was talking. Hillary has mastered that art as well.
Conversely, much of what the liberals in congress have done is right on the hairy edge of treason and some in congress have stepped over that edge. Pelosi, Ried and Kerry come to mind. Once upon a time we would, at a minimum, imprison people of this ilk. Now we put them in congress.
2007-10-20 05:58:29 · answer #1 · answered by Iceman 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Emerson was speaking to the temperature of the socio-economic contingent of a nation and the intention of the root cause of the fluctuations in that temperature. He also suggests he is nervous to uncover the true intentions of the movement. Yes, emphatically yes; this quote speaks volumes to this administration. But its pertinance now, as in say 1860ish when Emerson spoke. The terrible events of 9/11 seem to be the springboard for the use of patriotism as a mass appeal device for some, but a nation divided against itself in civil war assuredly produced similar and more fervent debates. This illustration of Emerson's words are a refreshing illustration of history repeating itself. I believe it is the natural complexity of the events surrounding these times in history which make "cleanness of its hands..." an undeniable impossibility. And for that sake it is important to fully reckon with all thoughts and intentions of all actions in any governing administrations. I believe Emerson was more warning against "blind patriotism" than criticizing any adminstration.
2007-10-20 06:00:30 · answer #2 · answered by Christopher H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Yesterday. Today, and Tomorrow... the cleanness of our hands and the purity of our hearts are in question not because of our leaders but because of what "we" the people of he United States of This America have allowed The officials that "we"elected and that "we"put in office get away with. We The people of the United States of America are in a bad way pressed and stressed to the limit of our inflated dollar and the inflated greedy ego of our elected officials . "we" have set here like we are no longer "The Government of he People, By the people, For the people? we act like sheep that are being led to slaughter by the very ones that we put in office. Have we forgotten that "we" The People are their Employer? and that "we" The People can fire them any time that "we" The people feel like it ... But "we" The people have (some of us ) have become so fat on just the crumbs that fall from the table of the very rich whom we respect the most because "we" The people will not have respect for a honest hard working Joe as an elected official. A war is always needed to balance an economy that is based on capitalism...
(don't get me started on this word "Capital ism" ) We are still paying property taxes that were only suppose to be for a little while according to the books
We the people to not "roar" any more.. we sit in bars and in front of our television sets.... It is no wonder that the rest of the world think that we are not worthy of the freedoms and liberties that we the people have. The world sees that we the people are no longer the back bones of this country... The world sees that we the people allow the greedy few to dictate to the many... and if Ralph Waldo Emerson gave a warning back then about sleeping with the enemy as we do today thru 'out sourcing " The United States of America has helped China become a world Power. why? Greed. did we The people help in making China a World power? yes we did and yes we the people still do. If I go thru my house right now if will find made in China on most every thing so I too an you to and all "We the people need o explore he cleanness of our hands and our purity of our hearts... We the People could have stopped this war long before he war became a battle field... we could have used peaceful means like a on going sit in at the capital until we the people as the employer of the few .. having these little rallies around our country is not as effective as having all these rallies come together for a on going rallies "our" capital... remember that Bush is in a house that we put him in and a house that we can take him out of . it is we the people that pay the mortgages on that house, that is never paid for.. this is what Emerson is talking about the cleanness of hands ( our hands) and purity of hearts (our hearts) so when are we going to stop "faining" a roar of and stop blaming those few people that have no more power than the we the people allow ..we the people need to remember who we are and go to our house in the state capital and get to roaring with the roaring of patriotism at the top of our voice in a unified (voice) in a unitedly rally. as long as we continue to remain scattered like sheep in little gathering in small groups we can not make a big roaring of our voices an the few elected official know this... there is something wrong and unpatriotic about WE THE PEOPLE.
WE THE PEOPLE CAN STOP ANYTHING WE WANT TO STOP IN AND AT OUR HOUSE IN WASHINGTON DC..RIGHT?
START WITH A
EMAILS
FLIER
CONTACT GROUPS AROUND THE COUNTRY FOR A UNIFIED RALLY IN WASHINGTON DC
RALLY TIME IN WASHINGTON DC SHOULD HAPPEN NOW PITCH TENTS SEEK MONEY ON A OPEN REQUEST ON THE TELEVISION, RADIO, FLIERS PHONE BANKS
THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE THIS YEAR I KNOW ITS COLD AND THOSE IN WASHINGTON KNOW IT TO... YOU WILL BE TAKEN MORE PEOPLE WILL THINK THAT YOU ARE CRAZY... BUT THEY WILL JOIN YOUR CA... THIS IS A ELECTION YEARS
2007-10-20 07:28:59 · answer #3 · answered by bay 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes -- I think it's directly on point.
Those who scream "patriotism" should be concerned first with what being a patriot really means -- and in the US, up until the past decade or so, that has always previously meant support for the US Constitution.
Somehow, recently, that has changed -- and those who demand the Constitution be followed are now considered weak and anti-American -- which begs the question, who is really the patriot and who is the threat?
2007-10-20 05:54:51 · answer #4 · answered by coragryph 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Luckily, the kind of people who think dissent is unpatriotic have opinions not worth paying attention to. Why would you even care what such a person has to say? They are also likely to think that Adam and Eve rode dinosaurs to church.
2007-10-20 05:40:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes it most certainly, does and as Emerson's quote shows, this has been an ongoing problem in this nation. Very few people in this country are unpatriotic, they just dont like the current administration. Protesting the current administration and being unpatriotic are two very different things.
2007-10-20 05:32:00 · answer #6 · answered by smartass 3 · 3⤊ 3⤋
Un patriotic, Un american.. are being used in a very interesting manner. Our country once stood for freedom. Within the past years american citizens have lost many of their rights/liberties. A true patriot will challenge government. Its the gov't that is using terms like un american and unpatriotic because some dont support a war or a certain policy.
2007-10-20 05:33:05 · answer #7 · answered by OCHOA 2 · 5⤊ 3⤋
Yeah, that's so funny to me. The irony of it all.
A nation founded on murder is going to get even
for what it perceives another nation has done to it,
by waging war on them.
The whole time trying to pass it off as a way to make peace.
The kicker is that it applies to both sides!
2007-10-20 05:41:15 · answer #8 · answered by Paul S 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This is a stupid question. What is the one thing you hear day in, day out? Oh, that's right, it is criticism of Pres. Bush and the war. I've not heard anyone labeled as "unpatriotic" for voicing this inane bleating, in fact it's the popular thing to do. And everyone is free to do it, and good for them.
2007-10-20 05:33:55 · answer #9 · answered by You are all, weirdos. 3 · 2⤊ 4⤋
I think it can very much apply if you consider other nations who roared patriotism and the best example of that would be Nazi Germany under Hitler.
2007-10-20 05:33:49 · answer #10 · answered by Al B 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋