mossyhorns
09-11-2004, 10:37 AM
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS NEVER CHEAP
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country, but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” Thomas Paine
The history of our nation is fraught with the folly of “sunshine patriots.” From the early days of the Republic, leaders have sought to avoid conflict by remaining “neutral.” When France and Great Britain went to war shortly after the colonies had gained their independence, America tried to stay out of the fray by not choosing sides. The policy resulted in attacks on American shipping by both France and Great Britain – the later of which kidnaped American sailors on the high seas and forced them into duty for the Crown.
When John Jay reached a negotiated “peace” with Great Britain, the French redoubled their efforts to snub America’s claims of sovereignty and continued to attack shipping and to occupy American ports. Only after a series of naval encounters where American warships won decisive battles against their French counterparts did Napoleon reconsider his strategy toward the new country.
Instead of insuring peace and tranquility, Jay’s treaty with Great Britain resulted in increased hostilities with France and provided no relief from the original grievances. In 1812, the U.S. declared war again on Great Britain to counter the piracy against American shipping and to quell the insurgency of the Indians who were being provoked by the British. Referred to as “the Second War For Independence,” the War of 1812 served to establish the fledgling republic as a rightful player among the powers of the world.
Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin observed that "the war has renewed and reinstated the national feeling and character which the Revolution had given, and which were daily lessening. The people have now more general objects of attachment, with which their pride and political opinions are connected. They are more Americans; they feel and act more as a nation; and I hope that the permanency of the Union is thereby better secured." The cost to better secure the permanency of the Union was over fifty thousand American lives.
Early in the 20th Century, Germany threw the entire continent of Europe into conflict and used submarine warfare to the destruction of any and all shipping in the Atlantic. Again, the United States believed that peace could be obtained by merely sitting on the sidelines and executing treaties. After receiving Germany’s solemn pledge to greatly restrict their submarine warfare, President Woodrow Wilson declared that he had obtained “peace without victory,” proclaiming such as the “only lasting peace.” Nine days later Germany resumed its attacks on American shipping with renewed vigor.
Only after the United States entered the fray did hostilities cease. But again, President Wilson sought “peace without victory” in the form of an armistice (cease-fire) based on his “Fourteen Points” rather than demanding the unconditional surrender of the aggressors. As history has shown, the rise of Hitler and the Second World War began with the signing of the treaty at Versailles to end the “War to End All Wars.”
During the late 1930s, America tried to remain neutral as Japan ravaged the south Pacific after a period of extreme military build-up. FDR was still committed to diplomacy with the militaristic leaders of Japan and had issued an appeal for a “peaceful understanding” as late December 6, 1941. The “peaceful understanding” was well understood the following morning as the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
In our own time we have seen the result of misguided diplomacy time and time again. Who can forget British Prime Minister Chamberlain’s statement following his conference in Berlin with Hitler: "My good friends this is the second time in our history that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honor. I believe it is peace in our time." While the Prime Minister promised peace for the citizens of London, Hitler was at work planning the invasion of the British Isles.
Following the defeat of Germany and the Axis powers in Europe, the diplomacy of Clement Attlee, the new British Prime Minister allowed the Soviet Union to clamp its iron control over much of Europe – in stark contrast to MacArthur’s Japanese occupation policy that prevented the Soviets from extending their grasp in the Pacific. President Carter is still lauded for his diplomacy in the Camp David Accord that is credited even to this day for bringing peace to the Middle East. At exactly what time since Carter or Camp David has there been peace in the Middle East?
But as the newly united Colonies learned in 1812, diplomacy without the will to take action is useless, as summarized by Theodore Roosevelt’s admonition to “speak softly but carry a big stick.” Only through the application of the “stick” did America finally assume her “separate and equal station” among the powers of the earth. Fortunately, not all advice of “sunshine patriots” is heeded as when then Ambassador to England, Joseph Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy clan, argued for the appeasement of Hitler at the onset of the Second World War.
Reliance on diplomacy and appeasement has been more costly to America than war. Beginning with the struggle for independence, diplomacy has neither aided nor advanced the cause of liberty. The freedom and liberty that we enjoy to this day is still purchased with the blood of true patriots. The 56 patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence knew that they would pay with their lives for the freedom and liberty that they themselves might never see. The citizen’s militia of New Hampshire who repulsed the Hessian attack that turned the War of 1812 were willing to pay the price for freedom, as were the millions who joined the military following the attack on Pearl Harbor, or the thousands who died on the beaches of Normandy.
The men and women who fight today in Iran and Afghanistan also realize the price of freedom and liberty. All the diplomacy the world has known did not prevent the September 11 attack on the United States. But the sacrifice of blood by America’s true patriots has successfully prevented further attack on American soil. For those of this country who have borne no costs for the freedom they richly enjoy to express embarrassment at the efforts of these true patriots is to cheapen and reject their ultimate sacrifice.
To denounce the leadership of this country for their “failures” in the war against terror is to ignore the facts and dishonor those patriots. Where are the terrorists who once attacked Americans with impunity? Where is the fearsome Al-Qaeda? The sunshine patriots on one hand point to the inability to capture Bin Laden as a glaring failure, then on the other hand find the capture of Saddam to somehow be an equal failure. Those who contend that President Bush “failed so miserably” at diplomacy totally ignore the fact that there have been no attacks on American soil since the World Trade Center disaster. The same cannot be said for those countries who have chosen the way of diplomacy and appeasement.
Diplomacy and appeasement will not buy freedom and liberty. Only the blood of true patriots will insure that our unalienable rights are preserved. And that is a very high price to pay to secure the life and liberty of people like Michael Moore.
Kenny Darnell
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country, but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” Thomas Paine
The history of our nation is fraught with the folly of “sunshine patriots.” From the early days of the Republic, leaders have sought to avoid conflict by remaining “neutral.” When France and Great Britain went to war shortly after the colonies had gained their independence, America tried to stay out of the fray by not choosing sides. The policy resulted in attacks on American shipping by both France and Great Britain – the later of which kidnaped American sailors on the high seas and forced them into duty for the Crown.
When John Jay reached a negotiated “peace” with Great Britain, the French redoubled their efforts to snub America’s claims of sovereignty and continued to attack shipping and to occupy American ports. Only after a series of naval encounters where American warships won decisive battles against their French counterparts did Napoleon reconsider his strategy toward the new country.
Instead of insuring peace and tranquility, Jay’s treaty with Great Britain resulted in increased hostilities with France and provided no relief from the original grievances. In 1812, the U.S. declared war again on Great Britain to counter the piracy against American shipping and to quell the insurgency of the Indians who were being provoked by the British. Referred to as “the Second War For Independence,” the War of 1812 served to establish the fledgling republic as a rightful player among the powers of the world.
Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin observed that "the war has renewed and reinstated the national feeling and character which the Revolution had given, and which were daily lessening. The people have now more general objects of attachment, with which their pride and political opinions are connected. They are more Americans; they feel and act more as a nation; and I hope that the permanency of the Union is thereby better secured." The cost to better secure the permanency of the Union was over fifty thousand American lives.
Early in the 20th Century, Germany threw the entire continent of Europe into conflict and used submarine warfare to the destruction of any and all shipping in the Atlantic. Again, the United States believed that peace could be obtained by merely sitting on the sidelines and executing treaties. After receiving Germany’s solemn pledge to greatly restrict their submarine warfare, President Woodrow Wilson declared that he had obtained “peace without victory,” proclaiming such as the “only lasting peace.” Nine days later Germany resumed its attacks on American shipping with renewed vigor.
Only after the United States entered the fray did hostilities cease. But again, President Wilson sought “peace without victory” in the form of an armistice (cease-fire) based on his “Fourteen Points” rather than demanding the unconditional surrender of the aggressors. As history has shown, the rise of Hitler and the Second World War began with the signing of the treaty at Versailles to end the “War to End All Wars.”
During the late 1930s, America tried to remain neutral as Japan ravaged the south Pacific after a period of extreme military build-up. FDR was still committed to diplomacy with the militaristic leaders of Japan and had issued an appeal for a “peaceful understanding” as late December 6, 1941. The “peaceful understanding” was well understood the following morning as the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
In our own time we have seen the result of misguided diplomacy time and time again. Who can forget British Prime Minister Chamberlain’s statement following his conference in Berlin with Hitler: "My good friends this is the second time in our history that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honor. I believe it is peace in our time." While the Prime Minister promised peace for the citizens of London, Hitler was at work planning the invasion of the British Isles.
Following the defeat of Germany and the Axis powers in Europe, the diplomacy of Clement Attlee, the new British Prime Minister allowed the Soviet Union to clamp its iron control over much of Europe – in stark contrast to MacArthur’s Japanese occupation policy that prevented the Soviets from extending their grasp in the Pacific. President Carter is still lauded for his diplomacy in the Camp David Accord that is credited even to this day for bringing peace to the Middle East. At exactly what time since Carter or Camp David has there been peace in the Middle East?
But as the newly united Colonies learned in 1812, diplomacy without the will to take action is useless, as summarized by Theodore Roosevelt’s admonition to “speak softly but carry a big stick.” Only through the application of the “stick” did America finally assume her “separate and equal station” among the powers of the earth. Fortunately, not all advice of “sunshine patriots” is heeded as when then Ambassador to England, Joseph Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy clan, argued for the appeasement of Hitler at the onset of the Second World War.
Reliance on diplomacy and appeasement has been more costly to America than war. Beginning with the struggle for independence, diplomacy has neither aided nor advanced the cause of liberty. The freedom and liberty that we enjoy to this day is still purchased with the blood of true patriots. The 56 patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence knew that they would pay with their lives for the freedom and liberty that they themselves might never see. The citizen’s militia of New Hampshire who repulsed the Hessian attack that turned the War of 1812 were willing to pay the price for freedom, as were the millions who joined the military following the attack on Pearl Harbor, or the thousands who died on the beaches of Normandy.
The men and women who fight today in Iran and Afghanistan also realize the price of freedom and liberty. All the diplomacy the world has known did not prevent the September 11 attack on the United States. But the sacrifice of blood by America’s true patriots has successfully prevented further attack on American soil. For those of this country who have borne no costs for the freedom they richly enjoy to express embarrassment at the efforts of these true patriots is to cheapen and reject their ultimate sacrifice.
To denounce the leadership of this country for their “failures” in the war against terror is to ignore the facts and dishonor those patriots. Where are the terrorists who once attacked Americans with impunity? Where is the fearsome Al-Qaeda? The sunshine patriots on one hand point to the inability to capture Bin Laden as a glaring failure, then on the other hand find the capture of Saddam to somehow be an equal failure. Those who contend that President Bush “failed so miserably” at diplomacy totally ignore the fact that there have been no attacks on American soil since the World Trade Center disaster. The same cannot be said for those countries who have chosen the way of diplomacy and appeasement.
Diplomacy and appeasement will not buy freedom and liberty. Only the blood of true patriots will insure that our unalienable rights are preserved. And that is a very high price to pay to secure the life and liberty of people like Michael Moore.
Kenny Darnell