This is in response to the person who commented negatively on Sylvain’s eloquent expression of gratitude (scroll down) for the U.S. I want to make clear that I’m grateful too.
I’m grateful for the existence of the United States, which makes the world a better place in so many ways than it would otherwise be.
I’m grateful that the U.S. isn’t shy about supporting freedom, even other people’s freedom.
I’m grateful that the U.S. has enough military power to actually do something about tyranny, not just make speeches.
I’m grateful for the decency, courage, and moral seriousness of my fellow Americans (most of them, anyway), and for our leaders. For all of their flaws, they still have the resolve to confront our enemies.
I’m grateful that most Americans have enough sense to see through captious arguments — like the argument that we shouldn’t touch Iraq because we don’t know for an absolute certainty that Saddam Hussein is a threat to us, and the argument for doing nothing because it’s possible that Iran or North Korea is in fact the bigger danger.
I’m grateful that Americans are willing to take action as soon as it becomes necessary to do so, in order to avoid a larger and far more destructive conflict, with a less certain outcome, in the future.
It’s a great country and I am grateful for it. I’m grateful for other countries, like Israel and the UK, as well. But without a powerful and confident United States, the Hitlers and Husseins would have a much easier time of it and the world would be a far bleaker place.