Messianic Nationalism
Bush said; God instructed him to strike Saddam. He speaks of democracy to justify the invasion of Iraq at a time when all other justifications have been discredited.
Michael Parenti's "Superpatriotism" warns: "Messianic nationalism is the path down which a nation can lose its soul. If doing whatever we judge fit to maintain our security necessitates wreaking death and destruction on other nations; this can have terrible repercussions for our own country." Perhaps declining enlistments in the military is an indication that we have begun to lose our soul and our military superiority.
In 1966, Sen. William Fulbright's "The Arrogance of Power" points out: "We are not God's chosen savior of mankind but only one of mankind's more successful and fortunate branches, endowed by our Creator with about the same capacity for good and evil, no more or less, than the rest of humanity."
Throughout history a number of nations have thought themselves as the chosen people and convinced themselves that they alone are best qualified to lead the world. Not unlike the Bush regime, which after a few false starts now claims democracy alone will ensure peace to the Middle East.
In 2003, columnist, Jon Carroll pointed out: "We are not the only democracy in the world; we are not the only country that exhibits courage in the face of adversity. We lie and cheat and steal and murder. Any assumption that God conferred on us a special blessing is not backed up by the facts. We fail to sign international treaties, and we reserve the right to violate such treaties whenever we feel like it. Is that because God speaks to our leaders as he speaks to no others?"
An international survey reveals people of other nations view us as arrogant and aggressive. Large majorities in other countries are distrustful of our leadership and see us as bent on controlling global oil supplies by military domination.
Michael Parenti's "Superpatriotism" warns: "Messianic nationalism is the path down which a nation can lose its soul. If doing whatever we judge fit to maintain our security necessitates wreaking death and destruction on other nations; this can have terrible repercussions for our own country." Perhaps declining enlistments in the military is an indication that we have begun to lose our soul and our military superiority.
In 1966, Sen. William Fulbright's "The Arrogance of Power" points out: "We are not God's chosen savior of mankind but only one of mankind's more successful and fortunate branches, endowed by our Creator with about the same capacity for good and evil, no more or less, than the rest of humanity."
Throughout history a number of nations have thought themselves as the chosen people and convinced themselves that they alone are best qualified to lead the world. Not unlike the Bush regime, which after a few false starts now claims democracy alone will ensure peace to the Middle East.
In 2003, columnist, Jon Carroll pointed out: "We are not the only democracy in the world; we are not the only country that exhibits courage in the face of adversity. We lie and cheat and steal and murder. Any assumption that God conferred on us a special blessing is not backed up by the facts. We fail to sign international treaties, and we reserve the right to violate such treaties whenever we feel like it. Is that because God speaks to our leaders as he speaks to no others?"
An international survey reveals people of other nations view us as arrogant and aggressive. Large majorities in other countries are distrustful of our leadership and see us as bent on controlling global oil supplies by military domination.
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