OCR Text |
Show 2 1 Ht 'iu; I IMIS, NISI UIE kf NEWS, August 21, 2008 VRNSPOSI ) Cm you really love yoor com toy? By Sheldon Kichniau Why do people get upset with Baraek Obama for not wearing a flag pin on his lapel or with Michelle Obama tor suggesting shes not been proud of her country until now? Why is failing to support the troops regarded as a sin? Because its a secular blasphemy to do or say anything that suggests you dont love your country. But why should you loe your country? Most people would say our country has done so much for us that w e should show our gratitude. But what has our country done for us0 An even better question is: what is our country? A country is not one concrete thing Its many America's Founders on Politics and rnment History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling the money and its issuance. James Madison Magna Times UbPS 325-58- 0 Second class postage paid at Magna, Utah 84044 8980 West 2700 Soutn Magna, Utah 84044 J. HOWARD STAHLE Publisher BONNiE STAHLE Advertising Manager COLIN B. DOUGLAS News Editor BENNION GARDNER Staff Writer CATHY HARDING Staff Writer JOHN BODENHOFER Staff Writer MELISSA HALL Education Reporter DALE SIMONS Sports Columnist CARLOS ESTRADA Pressroom Supervisor CHARITY JACOB Layout and Design Copyright, Magna TimesWest All rights Valley News reserved. Reproduction, reuse, or transmittal of all matter herein is prohibited without prior written permission by the publisher or editor The Magna Times and West Valley News are published each Thursday Subscription S25 per year $30 per year out of state Postmaster: Send change of address to: Magna T imes, West Valley New, and Kearns Post 8980 W. 2700 So Magna UT 84044 6 (801) or FAX (801) 250-568- 5 We cTl countiy is one's home and perhaps birthplace. Nothing w'rong having a fondness for those things. A couritiy is also its people But can anyone love all the American pimple? I can think of quite a few that 1 dont love. The country, moreover, is its history and cultuie. One v certainly can love some things about Americas bistory' and culture. The philosin the ophy expressed Dccldiation of Independence is worthy of affection. The abolitionist movement should be admiied Any genuine struggle for liberty and against tyranny should command out respect But theies a lot about American history and cultuie that any decent person should hold in contempt, slavery, Jim Crow, the oppression racism in You of Indians, general, the of women, demeaning Hnoshima and Nagasaki, conscription, mercantilist piivdege (which stifles economic opportunity and harms the poor most of all), and lots more. The government is also part of the country and in that regard theres much to dislike, as the list above shows The U.S. governments record largely has been one of domination at home and abroad. But love of country being blind, most people wont see it. One cant help thinking s that tiiose who loudly thtir love of the country-tfor example, hose, who must display the Ameiican flag on everything from their lapel to their car actually worship tne nation and state as though they were mystical god-lik- e entities. When they demand patnotism of others, they really are demanding nationalism. Nationalism is more pio-fes- cant run away from Golden By Bryan No one wants problems F seaping fiom problems can be much more appealing than them. resolving is Running away certainly tempting, especially when facing persistent, repetitive problems Not only is it impossible to outrun your pioblems, attempting to do so exacerbates your fiustiation. When you try to escape, problems follow you This is because the problems you experience repeatedly are due to what's inside you rather than where you are When you constantly face the same problem situations, you must look in the mirror to find the cause. This doesn't mean all problems are necessarily your fault. But there may be some aspect of your personality causing or attracting the problems. So, an effective way for resolving piob-lem- s is to alter your behavior to produce better results. Jane is currently working at her fourth job in ten years. Whenever Jane begins a new job, everything is great for the first year or so. Then things always go down hill for her Jane's cowoikers start avoiding her Her supervisor becomes more judgmental, criticizing Jane's work habits Jane invaiiahly changes jobs after growing dissatisfied with her work environ convinced Nationalism into its owrn during war and the conduct of foreign policy generally. Unsurprisingly, it is war critics who most often aie accused of not lovt, ing their country. In if you enlist to fight, you reap the highest praise. And if you die for your country', you have made the ultimate sacrifice, which the rest of us are obliged to honor. Nonsense. W hy is it noble to permit yourself to he con-tias- secular ordered religion and a collectivist one at that. Idealizing service to the country, as both Obama and John McCain do, a free society because it inevitably means service to, or defined by, the stale. (If it simply meant doing good for ones fellow human beings, the profit-seekin- g entrepreneur would be piaiscd for his sen ice ) The antiwar dissident Randolph Bourne understood that the state comes countries is a to invade other without que-tiohy any politician who happens to occupy the White House? Why is dying and killing in such a cause an occasion for honor? hy must any criticism of oui countrys military operations he tempered by eApressions of respect for the president and suppoit for the troops? For the nationalist, the m are a bona fide newspaper its next to impossible to find a decent work environment. Of course it is possible to land in a bad job. If that's the case, changing jobs should In remedy the situation. Jane's example, the same scenario reoccurs. Pei haps Jane takes her problems w ith her to each new job. Jane needs to assess her interpersonal communication skills, as well as her job performance. before once again jumping ship. Over the last 20 years, Steven and his family moved five times. Sometimes they stayed in the same area, other times they moved to a new town or state. Wherever Steven went, he had the same problems. T he neighbors were annoying, their house always had pioblems, theie was too much traffic, and people were rude. Was it possible for Steven to have such bad luck? Or was there some component of Steven's nature that always found fault with whatever situation he was in? Since Steven has found himself in the same scenano for two decades, chances are he has been taking his problems with him Unless Steven identifies and corrects the elements of his per sonality responsible for his dissatisfaction, it won't matter where or how often he moves. Td has tiouble staving in a relationship. When he meets someone new, things are great in the beginning. Then the problems develop. Fd w ith his partgets impatient ner He is very independent and doesn't want to adjust his lifestyle to accommodate anoth r pei son T d has little desire to consider the needs of the person he is w ith. When each relationship invariably ends, Fd is relieved and starts looking for someone else with whom he will be truly compatible. The problem is Fds attitude is incompatible with being in a successful relationship. Ed doesn't think there is anything wrong with him. Therefore, he is destined to experience the same problems in every relationship. Should he happen to meet someone w ho feels the same way he does, the relationship will end exen faster since neither one of them will be willing to be considciate of the other. Don't try to outrun your problems. Objectively analyze why your pioblems occur Often it can he helji-fu- l to seek input from an objective party who can give you constructive leedback You can change your behavior and attitude to prevent the same problems fiom repeating themselves. By felhnv at The Futiue of Freedom Foundation, author of Tethered Citizens. Time to Repeal the Welfare State, and editor of The Freeman magazine. Visit his blog " Fiee Association" a! mi w.shelconrkhman com Send him email. Cathy Harding surfin-saphire'- To advertise the Magna Times, West Valley News, and Kearns Post, or to place your ad in the 2008 Magna Telephone in Directory, call Bonnie at 250-565- 6 4 s 'lAUllYltliitT: Advertise with Us! 6 y, Did you know that in 2007, there were more youth skateboarding in America than playing baseball? Or that skateboarding is safer than football and baseball? Yet Kearns has no area dedicated to skating or rollerblading or BMX hiking. Thats where you come in. Support Kearns and Salt Lake County in building a world class skatepaik foi Kearns There is $1,000,000 in ZAP funding allocated for the project, but there aie people in Keains who would prefer to lose the money or put it to use somewhere else than provide a safe place for our youth to practice their sport. Contact Cathy Harding at 688 9376, or u comcast.net You can also post your comments on the Keains Clime Pievention Association website at http keamscnmeprevention.com. Send letters to the editor to: . 250-565- answer is that the nation and its worldly representaare to tive, the government be worshipped and trusted. Rad.cal cnticism that is, criticism that goes to the roo is peihaps to be tolerated, but just barelv. Insisting on the alleged virtue of loving ones country mainly serves to give those in power a blank cheek. The alternative, is not to hate ones though, country, for this would merely be the other side of the same fallacy. A country per se should be an object neithei of lov e nor of hatred. SheLlon Ric hmon is senior Ensure your voice is heard regarding the your problems Kearns Skatepark ment. She erroneously believes there is something wrong with the people she w'oiks w'llh. In each new job, the pattern repeats itself. Needless to say, Jane is very frustrated, thmi al section tor ones home or a felt bond with people who have a common history or set of ideals Its a source of identity and therein Iks the danger: it's also the source of suspicion of the Other. American nationalism is an especially virulent strain, since the United States is considered by its leaders and citizens an exception among nations and unbound by the normal rules WE WANT YOUR OPINION! 250-565- E Mail: magwest3xmis-sion.co- things, and fiankly, nvt of them aie lovable. Ones PLefflailJhemJo iMii) |