The American Spectator : Loss and Remembrance

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Loss and Remembrance

By Herbert London on 7.16.09 @ 6:07AM

The loss of national sovereignty, the loss of our history and the loss of national exceptionalism.

(Adapted from a speech delivered earlier this year at a Center for Security Policy event.)

Thucydides noted that "…happiness is obtained through freedom and freedom through a brave heart…" But at a time when world affairs is shifting before our very eyes, a "brave heart" seems to be in retreat. Much of what we've known and assumed is being shattered by tumultuous events. We are, as I see it, in the throes of loss -- the loss of national sovereignty, the loss of our history and the loss of national exceptionalism.

However, what is not lost is the resilience of the American people. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

1. Loss of National Sovereignty:

First, I want to point out the ways in which sovereignty is being lost from the prepared Treaty of The Sea, a new version of the Kyoto Accord, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the misguided acceptance of membership to the U.N. Human Rights Council. But there is one area that has received almost no public attention: the Financial Stability Board.

President Obama signed a new contract with G20 leaders for a banking system, the Financial Stability Board which establishes an economic union with uniform trade regulations and bylaws. It includes the extension of "oversight to all important financial institutions, instruments and markets." The head of FSB, Mario Draghi of Italy said, "every financial institution capable of creating financial risk will be the subject of supervision." This means the U.S. has been inserted into an entangling alliance with Europeans and Asians that compromises national economic independence.

2. Loss of the Past

On June 6, 1944, the United States and its allies launched the largest air and sea armada in world history. The purpose of this mission was clear: liberate Europe from the grip of Nazi despotism.

The landings on the Normandy beaches led to unprecedented death and destruction. American soldiers leaving their amphibious landing crafts measured their life expectancy in minutes. In the first hour of battle hundreds lost their lives and in succeeding waves thousands were killed as the beaches at Omaha and Utah were soaked with the blood of young men in their teens and early twenties.

At Pointe du Hoc Rangers scaled the sheer cliffs on rope hangers. When one was killed by German bullets another stepped on the precarious rungs. Of the 224 Rangers who scaled those cliffs only 90 survived, but as historians observed rarely in history has there been such a display of courage, fortitude and sacrifice.

This was the beginning of a great epoch in history that led ultimately to the defeat of Hitler's Germany. But history has a way of describing the big picture and leaving out the tales of individual bravery by young men who a year or two earlier were playing high school basketball, working on a farm or applying to college. History called their number and they responded. Tom Brokaw called them "America's greatest generation."

It is hard to know if they made history or history demanded heroic deeds from them. Perhaps it was a little of both. But standing in the cemetery at the Normandy Beach and observing row after row of those who gave their lives for a cause greater than themselves, I am humbled by those who died so future generations could live freely.

There is another thought that crossed my mind in this crowded necropolis. I don't understand how anyone, much less the president of the United States, could apologize for American actions abroad in the last century or this one. With all the mistakes and miscalculations even with Abu Ghraib and My Lai, there has never been a force for good more notable than the United States' military.

Ask the citizens of Caen, Bayeux, St. Lo, Archante what they thought about GI's in their midst. Residents of these towns were saved from enslavement by Americans who fought Panzer divisions in their backyards. Generals Eisenhower, Patton, and Bradley left devastation in their advancing wake, but they brought with them armies that yielded freedom and set the stage for a level of prosperity Europe has enjoyed ever since.

It is difficult for most Europeans to remember the past. After all, who wants to remember an uncle that bailed you out of a jam? Here in Normandy, however, conditions are different. Citizens of this region were there on the front line. Omaha Beach is Bloody Omaha to them and the American flag still stands as a reminder.

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topics:
Patriotism, National Sovereignty, Liberty

About the Author

Herbert London is president emeritus of the Hudson Institute and the author of America's Secular Challenge: The Rise of a New National Religion (Encounter Books).

Letter to the Editor View all comments (18) | Leave a comment

Melvin| 7.16.09 @ 8:18AM

The United States has been the burr in the saddle of every dictator, despot, tyrannical regime since our beginning.
Europe, EU or whatever the hell they call themselves now has been jealous, angry, and resentful to the fact that those American Cowboys had to come across an entire ocean to bail their sorry backsides out twice and defend them from themselves after WW2 ended, and fight a war in the Pacific to boot.
Well, the despots, dictators, and future tyrannical regimes in training joined forces and created the United Nations that was designed to keep US exceptionalism in check and to crack the wall of American unity from within by indocrinating future generations of young skulls full of mush into the kinder and gentile ways of Euro snobbery that created two world wars.
So like Europe, we will become a nation of babbling whiners that expect government to wipe our noses and give everyone one of us a wheel chair parking permit at the local market.
Thinking back, one European that was interviewed shortly after 9/11, and his remarks are burned into my memory. "It's about time the Untited States felt war upon it's shores to know what it feels like from the Europeon perspective of having to have suffered through two wars."
My arrogant American response to that my European friend, "You can kiss my American backside and the next time your European elite decide to get themselves into trouble and call us to bail them out. Go and take a flying leap into the Atlantic beause your pleas will fall deaf upon these American ears."
Oh, excuse my my opinion isn't being very multicultural is it?

Barack Obama| 7.16.09 @ 9:04AM

I still haven't figured out which war that "Saving Private Ryan" movie was supposed to be about.

Steve| 7.16.09 @ 10:07AM

Hello, Melvin: as to the idiocy of your European *friend*, have the fool take a tour of the Southland and count the battlefields. America has most assuredly felt war upon its shores -- that's why we fight abroad now. And yes, your opinion was most decidedly not multicultural. Thank you.

Hello, Barack: Mr. President, I'm not surprised at your confusion. You were no doubt taught (Howard Zinn, perhaps - or your grandparents) during your Boshevik upbringing that all of America's wars have been of an imperialist nature, and it is soooo difficult to tell one imperialist adventure from another.

GSP| 7.16.09 @ 10:26AM

We have been screaming about teaching these very things in our schools for twenty years now....and no reversal is in sight.

Chris Matthews | 7.16.09 @ 10:26AM

I felt a thrill go up my leg reading that speech by Beria to the American Communists about how to subjugate a nation in one generation.

Melvin| 7.16.09 @ 10:43AM

This Euro snobbery seems to be a generational thing for the most part. But, for the sake of argument the succeeding generations of Europeans have to had learned this Euro attitude from someone and it wasn't us.
I suspect there always has been this jealously toward us because we are a younger country and able to project our power over vast expanses due to us being united and Europe once a world power has a certain attitude of, "Damn, that could have been us."
Europe still has this dream of being united, and this may have been the driving force of creating the European Union, but unfortunately for them old habits and arguments take precedence and that will be the single biggest reason in why Europe cannot emulate the United States.
I don't care what Europe does it will never ever be United under one banner. It hasn't worked the past and it sure as hell won't work in the future.
So to make themselves on par with us, they have to knock us down to their level and that is what is the driving force of all this Obama nationalization.
A person doesn't have to look far to find Euro-fingers in the mix.

Old Texican| 7.16.09 @ 11:42AM

Melvin
I certainly appreciate your thought here.

I shall caution us to remember that we should not project our own failure last November on to Europeans though.

We Americans have brought this calamity upon ourselves...by our votes...an by many of us failing to vote at all.

I am afraid it is going to have to get vey bad, before it can begin to get better.
We boomers are going to have to get off our dead arses, get busy mentoring our younger citizens, even if they do accuse us of "lecturing them", and get our arses out on the streets...right the hell now!

TennesseeVolunteer| 7.16.09 @ 11:59AM

Huzzah! Huzzah!

David Govett| 7.16.09 @ 12:48PM

Consider the number of people freed from tyranny by Americans. Now consider the number freed from tyranny by Europeans. Notice the difference?

Seek| 7.16.09 @ 1:06PM

Hey Barack,

"Saving Private Ryan" is about World War II. As much as "Black Hawk Down" is about Somalia.

rssg| 7.16.09 @ 2:15PM

It's already too late......the limp-wristed libs/progressives/socialists like Barry al Hussein (and much of the democrat party) have dreamed of this for decades.

They always whine and cry for "the other". They never loved the USA for what it was. They are obsessed with racism and "correcting" the sins of the past.

Well ladies and gentlemen, for most of the history of the USA, caucasians constituted about 90% of the population - that's the main reason why most politicians, business leaders, military leaders, scholars, etc. were............ caucasian.
Duh.

With Barry al Hussein in charge, kiss the United States good-bye. We're well on the way of becoming just another Euro-wimp, craddle to the grave, statist "utopia".

Al Adab| 7.16.09 @ 2:25PM

As I write across the street is a gathering of TEA party people in front of our Congrassman's office. All of us need to remember that it is we the citizens who are the government and that we police our govetrnment not it which controls or dictates to us.
While increasing taxation, including mandated costs for everything under the sun, represents one issue, the issues of sovereignty, Liberty and our individual rights all under increqasing assult by our own government are others.
What actions must we take to defend our Constitution against the attacks from our government? That is the issue of the day. Will free men find the will and the method to once again stand for their Liberty or will mankind face a long dark night of tyranny? Future ages will look to us and thisd moment whatever choice we make. Pray that we make the right one.

Conrad Spiracy| 7.16.09 @ 9:22PM

Mr. London,

If your point #1 is spot-on, then the "agreement" has no validity.

Per the Constitution (Article II, Section 2) the Senate must vote by 2/3rds majority to ratify any treaties entered into by the President.

Anyone who seeks to support or otherwise enact the agreement without satisfying the above is guilty of both Sediton and Treason.

Con Spiracy

Old Texican| 7.16.09 @ 11:05PM

RSSG...screw you!

We olde fartes may be crippled up...but we are sneaky...and our trigger fingers work splendidly.

We will take our country back.

GENE HAUBER| 7.19.09 @ 6:56PM

IT'S ME AGAIN FOLKS,

I DESPISE OBAMA AND EVERYTING HE IS TRYING TO DO TO THIS GREAT COUNTRY THAT HE AND HIS UNGRATEFUL WIFE HAD NO HAND IN FORMING.

HE IS AN UN-AMERICAN PIECE OF SHIT AS IS HIS WIFE. THEY WERE DOING FINE IN CHICAGO BUT, CHI TOWN IS NOT AMERICA.
THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT "LOVE" OBAMA ARE THE "MOST" STUPID AND UN-EDUCATED OF ALL AMERICANS....THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION FOR HIS ELEVATION TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE USA THAN THAT.
WE ARE, AT PRESENT, BEING GOVERNED BY IDIOTS....OBAMA, PELOSI, HARRY REID......ALL AMERICA HATERS AND CRIMINALS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH US AMERICA?
AMERICA DESERVES MUCH BETTER THAN THIS MUSLIM NIGGAR IS WILLING TO GIVE US.....HE HATES US