An E-mail Exchange With a Right-Wing Friend From NY

This all flowed from a previous posting. Howie is RED. I am BLUE.


You know I don't (hate America).

But you hate American values. If you support torture, you hold American values in contempt. Torture is un-American. Supporting torture is un-American. End of discussion.

You hate Christian values. If you support torture, you hold Christianity in contempt. Torture is un-Christian. Supporting torture is un-Christian. End of discussion.

America has only done GOOD for the world.

America has done much great good for the world in the past. I pray it will do so in the future. Right now, we're NOT doing good, by holding our own values in contempt, by acting unlike America has acted ever before.

Through out our history, we've sacrificed millions of American lives so that the world is a safer and better place to live. NO OTHER COUNTRY HAS SACRIFICED SO MUCH AND HAS PAID SO MUCH AS WE HAVE.

In WW I, the US lost 126,000 soldiers. Russia lost 1, 700,000--about 15 for every American. Britain (and its colonies) lost 908,000. France lost 1,300,000--about 10 for every American. Italy (an ally at that point) lost 650,000.

In WW II, the US lost 292,000 soldiers. The French underground lost 292,000. Britain lost 264,000. The Soviet Union lost 8,668,000 (!).
See also here.

I don't point this out to denigrate the sacrifices that the "greatest generation" made. But it's important to put your right-wing propaganda in perspective. Many other countries have paid a far greater toll than we have in fighting for freedom.

As you know, I hate it when lazy people blame our government for their shortcomings.

I hate intellectual laziness, half-truths, and propaganda that tries to justify the greatest country in the world acting like the worst. I hate intellectual laziness that reveals utter contempt for American values.

People are always quick to criticize us when we don't rush to their aid, yet always seem to criticize us when we go to aid someone else.

Like your criticism of our NATO coalition in Bosnia?

This resentment of the Muslims to us infidels didn't start with Bush.

Of course it didn't. But he has done more in the last five years to exascerbate and propagate it than anyone in our lifetime.

I asked you the other day about The Patriot Act and peoples rights violated. You were able to name 4 cases. well, even if its only 100. If Americans lives are being saved, I accept it.

A] That's a shame for you. Why do you want to curtail American freedoms? Why do you hate America? B] American lives are NOT being saved. What makes you think they are? Because the Bush administration says so? It is rather dangerous to take their word for it.

We still have far more rights than most people in the world.

Unless we have exactly what the Constitution gives us, I am not satisfied. Why do you hate the Constitution? Why do you hate America?

And remember, the rights that you say we have lost, is not a result of Americans actions, its a result of the terrorists and radical Muslims that you give the benefit of the doubt.

I give no one the benefit of the doubt beyond what our Constitution and International law that we have agreed to and ratified demands.

That you feel sorry for

I feel sorry for NO terrorist. I want to see ALL terrorist brought to justice. If we abandon the rule of law, however, in our pursuit of terrorists, if we deny essential, universal rights of due process, we have become a lawless society. We are answerable only to our emotions. And that's how terrorists think.

because you feel that the big bad America stepped on with its bad capitalistic society.

You can play the Laura Ingraham game all you want, Howie, and just make fun of legitimate criticism. But the undeveloped world is being exploited for cheap labor and cheap resources. And an enormous portion of this world is Islamic. Terrorist leaders like Osama may be insane, but the footsoldiers of terrorism are desperate people. Injustice spawns injustice. It doesn't justify terrorism--EVER. But if you are aware of an injustice, and do nothing to make it right, you own a piece of responsibility for whatever evil comes out of it. That's Catholic theology, by the way.

I'm proud to be an American.

No you're not. You are embarrassed by views that dissent from the administration's. You'd love to silence that dissent. You are supportive of torture. You don't believe in due process of law. You don't believe in the equality of people. These are not American values. So you are NOT proud to be an American. You are proud, perhaps, to be a Bush republican. And you label this being an "American." But it is not.

I am embarrassed when people like Kennedy, Durbin and Leheay try to make a point, by putting this Great country down.

They are not "putting this great country down." They are criticizing policies that are un-American.

And I have even more resentment for them when I see Muslim news stations quoting them.

The truth hurts, Howie. Deal with it.