The reason the West is capable of feeling guilt over past behavior is the cognitive dissonance between what we know about our ideals and what we know we have been up to, combined with another core Western value: individual responsibility. The guilt is not useful, as it's merely a form of self-loathing that leads to paralysis; the self-awareness that comes with it is invaluable, because we can't improve the way we act without it. The left embraces guilt as contrition. The right rejects self-awareness as guilt. Neither one of these is useful.
I agree. Now what? Bush isn't the ideal by any means, but the only alternatives we're being given so far, both in politics and culture, is the idea that the first thing one should do in any conflict is plunge your sword into your own guts.
Try and find any public use of the concept of "self-awareness" in this context that doesn't automatically mean "guilt."
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- Bolivian leader nationalizes oil companies on May Day.
- Did it ever occur to you to think...........
- Anti U.S.
- "Iif we had followed liberal-recommended foreign policy in this hemisphere in the 70s and 80s, most of Central and South America would have been little Soviet suburbs years ago"
- So sad, too bad..............
- "70s and 80s" has an exact meaning.
- how 'bout this question:
- The blind spot where [stuff] just happens
- some argument when you have to squeeze Islam into Latin America (n/t)
- re: "70s and 80s" has an exact meaning.
- "70s and 80s" has an exact meaning.
- re: Did it ever occur to you to think...........
- Anti U.S.
- Then he will gripe that he can't get foreign investment.
- Gorbachev Urges G8 To Back Solar Power Not Oil Or Nuclear
- Did it ever occur to you to think...........