Categorical Aperitif

Though I'll admit that I used to enjoy running into him on the radio during long cross-country drives across the South—his distinctive voice and quirky delivery made for a welcome contrast with the high-gloss country, Top 40, and classic rock that otherwise filled up the airwaves—I haven't been able to think of him the same way since FAIR made me aware of the bizarre 2005 screed in which he lamented the wussification underlying America's unwillingness to use nuclear and biological weapons in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even now we're standing there dying, daring to do nothing decisive, because we’ve declared ourselves to be better than our terrorist enemies--more moral, more civilized.

Our image is at stake, we insist.

But we didn’t come this far because we’re made of sugar candy.

Once upon a time, we elbowed our way onto and across this continent by giving smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans. That was biological warfare. And we used every other weapon we could get our hands on to grab this land from whomever.

And we grew prosperous. And yes, we greased the skids with the sweat of slaves.

So it goes with most great nation-states, which--feeling guilty about their savage pasts--eventually civilize themselves out of business and wind up invaded and ultimately dominated by the lean, hungry up-and-coming who are not made of sugar candy.

// posted by nash @ 6:14 PM