NOT OC: MOSTLY TWADDLE, PROBABLY

Linda near the top of the world

Vardo, Norway - about the latitude of Barrow, Alaska

They fought heroically against the Germans in WW II.

But, in the end, they lost

In some parts of the world we Americans are the Great Satan.  Elsewhere we are a bunch of buttinskis who meddle, uninvited, in others' affairs.  Almost everywhere we are resented as the top dog, the rich guys, - the “1%” of the world.  Even where we do good works - and there are many instances -  we are disliked; as is well known, no good deed ever goes completely unpunished.  In short, the rest of the world may admire us, may envy us, may even try to emulate us– but they don’t much like us.  How did this come to be?

I hit on these uncharacteristically gloomy, introspective thoughts because I just ran on a passage in an old book which demonstrates how much things have changed.  The words I am about to quote are taken from a book published in the 1870s, written by an talented, exceedingly well educated, well-traveled, and well-heeled Englishwoman.  The name of the book is A Thousand Miles up the Nile”.  The author is Amelia Blanford Edwards.  Those of you who have read some of the Amelia Peabody mysteries will recognize this ladies’ character.  So here goes:

“……Of all these, our American cousins, ever helpful, ever cordial, are pleasantest to meet.  Their flag stands to me for a host of brave and generous and kindly associations.  It brings back memories of many lands and many faces.  It calls up echoes of friendly voices, some far distant, some, alas! silent.  Wherefore – be it on the Nile or on the Thames, or the high seas or among Syrian camping grounds, or drooping listlessly from gloomy diplomatic haunts in continental cities – my heart warms to the stars and stripes wherever I see them.”

Well, yes  - this is simply one woman’s opinion; no doubt there were equally well educated, well traveled, well-heeled Englishwomen who felt otherwise.  However, I feel certain that the global proportion  of Amelia Edwardses  has diminished over the past 150 years.  Clearly, acting as global cop has not helped our popularity.  Neither has involving ourselves, often forcefully (and sometimes underhandedly) in the Middle East to protect our energy supply.  Just as clearly, we should try to withdraw from places that hate us, by developing domestic sources of whatever it is we need from them.  Okay, so here’s to fracking and shale oil, as well as renewable energy.  Hooray for a nimbler and more potent strategic strike force, and perhaps a smaller conventional army.  Here’s to diplomacy, if it’s backed up by a big stick. The day of Teddy Roosevelt is over, alas, and the day of an effective Barack Obama is far, far in the future.    In the meantime it would be nice if our friends in Washington could manage to do their jobs. 

Yeah, so now I will get back to another topic I know virtually nothing about – cancer research.

My knee is healing rapidly and I will be in Borrego Spring by the end of next month.