Obama's statement of American arrogance in foreign relations, and Bill Clinton's conciliatory statements regarding the journalists imprisoned by North Korea have inspired outrage and indignation among scared little conservatives.
When you know a person who consistently says: "I don't see why I have to apologize, I didn't even do anything!!!", you can then verify certain facts of their personality:
1. Low capacity for Objectivity:
Not knowing that your own certitude and emotionally intense internal experiences occur independently of the truth or falsity of any particular thoughts you have.
2. Low EQ:
Not understanding that these emotions are equivalent to other peoples' emotions, and they don't come from the truth or righteousness of any particular thought.
3. Low SQ:
Not understanding that everyone goes through this experience, this is why we have arguments and why techniques for resolving disputes are necessary, and that these techniques often require us to suspend our emotions, choosing the psychological and material benefits of interpersonal relationships over internal feelings.
As I noted in the post on Health Care, the dominant theme of conservatives now is fear of the Other.
This same fear is stimulated now by the idea that the top Democrats are weakening this country by apologizing. Pat Buchanan said, on MSNBC, that Clinton's conciliation with Kim Jong Il gave this dictator a lot of power in Asia.
If you the reader find that a credible statement, it might benefit you to get to know the rest of the world, if just a little bit.
The excitement of Buchanan and other conservatives about the grave weakening of America's image is contrasted nicely with the popular ideas about Clinton and Obama in China. Some of the reasons that these two appeasers are well liked in China is that they are considered very intelligent, reasonable, and friendly. Bush, on the other hand, was mostly regarded as dangerous and stupid.
In most countries, a country that believes in avoiding apologies and claiming to be the strongest, or most righteous nation in the world, is not fondly thought of, and may often be thought of as threatening.
North Korea is a nothing country, that everyone looks down on, pities, or regards as dangerous.
What do we think of dictators that constantly talk up the threat of everyone else? What do we think of people in our personal lives who regard apology as losing, giving someone power over them, or shaming themselves?
Conservatives have spent plenty of time talking up threats and freaking out over apologies, which may or may not have occurred.
On a Chinese news report I saw, it was reported that Kim Jong Il actually apologized to Clinton.
I know many times when I have lacked the strength to be humble, the strength to suspend my moral certitude, the strength to regard others as equals rather than hostile threats or fellow partisans in a struggle against the oppressive others.
But having the strength to apologize, to give in to another persons view of yourself, is part of growing, healing, and achieving and maintaining personal, romantic, professional and diplomatic relationships.
Conservatives like Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, and O'Reilly are afraid to give in to the perception that they are flawed, or that the country they love might not exist, but might only be a collection of semi-intelligent, mostly inherited, prejudices and simplifications of history.
Oberman and Maddow over at MSNBC might not be that different in respect to their commitment to their ideology. However, right now I am much more sympathetic with their side, than with the opponents of universal health care, or whatever malnourished version of that which congress finally manages to pass.
A sad mockery of universal healthcare is, at least, a start.
While the scared little conservatives go through the other-hate, labeling Obama as a non-Christian, non-American, hater of White Culture, etc., I hope the Democrats finally have the balls to make some real change.
In the long run, Americans will support them. FDR and Truman were widely condemned as Communists, sliding us down a slippery slope to Moscow, for advocating services such as Medicare, Disability, Unemployment, and Social Security.
Now, no one really opposes this. (of course, I know the pseudo free market types and Libertarian-Austri-Objectivists do) And no one really will oppose government provided Health Insurance for people who can't get it themselves once its been in place for a decade or two.
The conservatives, now conserving nothing more than the empty rhetoric of fifties and sixties era libertarians and red-crazy patriots, will try as much as they can to scare everyone, just as Regan did at the prospect of Socialized Medicine back during that same time period.
I can only hope they will lose. But hope often has little direct efficacy.
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