Today is the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. What amazes me is that, whenever a world-changing event like this happens, we always hear people saying, “We must never forget. We will never forget.” We saw the same thing after the 9/11 attacks.
And yet, we always do forget. In other times, it took at least a generation for the forgetting to begin. It took the cultural hand-off to the children of the people who had actually been there for the amnesia to set in, and for the lessons to be unlearned.
Today, it only takes a few years. “Move on,” we’re told. “Mere historical events can teach us nothing. The writings of Howard Zinn, though—there we may find wisdom.”
That doesn’t mean the wisdom is lost.
We’ll learn the lesson again.
But it will cost a lot of human lives.
I’m still fighting my cold. It’s been more than a week, and yet it hangs on, like one of those turtles whose jaws stay locked on your finger, even after you’ve cut his head off.
I spent a second Sunday in bed. I’m beginning to think I’ve gotten as well as I’m going to get—that this is how old age feels, and it’s set in for good now.
I touched my cheek today at work, and realized I’d forgotten to shave (though I know I put on aftershave). Yes, I’m aware I wear a beard (thanks for noticing), but I shave my cheeks, as the growth up there is pretty sparse (and my neck).
After work I stopped at the post office to mail a book to somebody. Long line. I fell in behind a woman whom I judged, at first glance, to be rather attractive.
Then, after a few minutes, I noticed her hands. You remember that Seinfeld episode about the girl with the “man hands?” This woman had more hair on her hands than I do—which is no great accomplishment, for a guy.
Then I noticed that “she” was a guy.
I’m not sure I’ve ever made that mistake before, even with long-haired guys (which this guy was).
Forgetting to shave, and being unable to tell men from women.
Classic signs of becoming a coot. A codger. Walter Brennan (who played old guys, I think, even when he was still a young guy).
It occurred to me over the weekend that when I was a kid, there was my generation and the World War II generation, and the great Generation Gap stood between us.
Today, I feel as if I’m on the same side of the Gap as the Greatest Generation.
Somebody moved the Gap while I wasn’t looking.
Who reads Howard Zinn? For that matter, who is Howard Zinn?
We forgot 9/11 because the lesson was not repeated. It was not repeated because the average Jihadi can get the 72 virgins deal by going to Iraq or Afghanistan, and doesn’t need to actually hurt our civilian population; and the average Muslim government won’t encourage Jihadis, because they’re afraid of following the Taliban.
The US universally appears weak and disunited. Occasionally, it is necessary to remind the rest of the world that appearances are deceiving. Unfortunately, nobody listens to the ghost of Admiral Yamamoto, just as nobody listened to him when he was alive.
The reason old people hurt in the morning is to let them know they are still alive. Long ago, 43 years and a lifetime for many, I wore Army green. Went to an exotic land, met strange new people, and killed them. Today the reason why I, and so many more, did this is lost in left wing BS. We lost because our press and elected hacks sold us out. Today we are again facing same situation, and again from the same people. War is not a nice thing, and no place for a PC government. The old ‘Kill them all, and let God sort them out’ is a valid argument. If a fire fight starts in your front yard you can join the fight, or run out your back door. If you just stand there, you can expect to get killed. So sorry you were an idiot. Feel sorry for him, well, he may just been ready to frag you. Oh, then your the idiot – in a body bag!
Old Viking–I’m furious, and have been for years, over the way those of you who fought in that exotic land were treated by your fellow countrymen. Both victory and respect were stolen from you, for base reasons.
… being unable to tell men from women.
In the part of south Florida where I live, this is not an uncommon problem.
Once at a folk festival I had taken a certain musician to be a woman, until he and I happened to be using the men’s room at the same time, a momentarily unnerving experience.
Lars
Well written and thought.
Today is the day after the attack…much to clean up and causes one to wonder.
So often we blame ourselves for such attacks. We think it is our fault that the Islamic Terrorists attacked us.
How self debasing have we become. Maybe it is the constant drone of images of the unfortunate, that cause us to secretly hate ourselves. It is like the smoker who complains about the taxes and price of cigarettes…and secretly applauds and agrees with the government tax punishment of such. Not to go down that rabbit trail today.
Today is the day after.
What are we going to do about what happened? How are we going to console the lost, build what was destroyed, clean up the mess, and punish those who attacked us?
On the topic of rebuilding what was destroyed, do you think conservative political ideas can be taught by founding an institution? Can they be taught apart of fundamental biblical principles? Or are in a new world, so to speak, where building new conservatives to take honesty and responsibility into our governments requires approaches which are completely outside the box?
I have no idea. It’s a question that flummoxes me. I’m open to discussion.
Phil: Or are in a new world, so to speak, where building new conservatives to take honesty and responsibility into our governments requires approaches which are completely outside the box?
Ori: We are in a new world, as far as information transmission is concerned.
I wouldn’t worry about the government per se too much. It’s a big, visible target. But it tends to distract people from the real business of affecting the culture, especially the children. Fix the culture, and as long as we’re still a republic or the near equivalent thereof the government will get fixed.
I think I mentioned JellyTelly here before. For my money, that’s one of the smarter tools in the conservative arsenal. Cheap, easily accessible, and gets them early.
Of course, the other “tool” is the difference in fertility rates. Social conservatives usually have more kids.
1. Conservative political views can only be taught;
a. (first, in our churches
b. (second, in our homes
c. (third, in our schools– public or other-
wise,
but especially our public schools
d. (fourth, in our media
e. (fifth, in our government
Since the government decides what is taught in the public schools, perhaps those two should be switched in order.
This will only happen after some generations have passed. If you recall the “acceptance” of blacks in general in society during the 50s and 60s and 70s… the changes didn’t occur over night.
Like-wise, the progressive, liberal, socialist system that is being somewhat forced on us grew gradually since the turn of the century or close to it. (WWI?)
Now on to Lars’ second thought… Lars, when I told you that you needed to get a life… I never thought I’d find you out trolling the post office for cute guys with long hair….
I found the best way was to go out and borrow a cute puppy, walk into a mall or large variety store and walk around holding the puppy. Ladies of all descriptions would come over and pet the mutt and find out if I was possibly single and needed a good feed.
This way, I avoided the guys, (even with long hair), ’cause they wouldn’t swarm me as they wished to remain “masculine”.
(Perhaps I should pass this strategy along the the “Art of Manliness” blog………????
And lastly Lars, a. I hope you take this post in good humor as it was intended!
b. I’m sorry you have such a rascally cold! But, it too shall pass. I know how miserable they can be. Next time you feel one coming on, take some of those zinc pre-cold-meds. I’ve found they really work well.
c. By all means, shave the cheeks!!!! Women just hate those semi-hairy cheeks. Shave them I say, shave them!!
I’m pretty sure I’m a lost cause at this point. My only further value to society is as a Cautionary Example.