LINKED. Great piece!
Sure Spree!
I believe that our public schools and universities are the source of much of the "victimhoodization" of our youth. They no longer understand the concepts of duty, honor, country -- right/wrong, God (as in One God -- not a plurality of beliefs) and on and on. We must retake the educational process. Much of the media rhetoric comes from those steeped in the liberal venom spewing from public school teachers and left-wing university professors (right-wing professors are very few). Young people have totally lost their direction. They are looking for reason. They are looking for purpose. The leftist/socialist agenda is spoon-fed to them throughout the educational system, many of the liberalized churches, and the news media. The truth is left out.
The military for the most part is able to correct some of that thinking in its soldiers. Also, a high percentage of soldiers come from the heartland of the country where those values of truth and right, duty and country are still taught. The media would say they come from the uneducated, unwashed flyover part of the country. Many of them are well educated -- just not from the "proper" schools.
Well said, Panhandle Poet!
I'm one of those traditional educators you mention. Students for the most part appreciate a non-biased approach, but boy do I get a lot of kids who've had all the hard-left English, history, and sociology professors.
Thanks for visiting!
You said it yourself about the commenter on your post who made that horrid statement: "I ignore Dave, by the way. He's hate-addled and ignorant." But you blew it, Donald! You published his comment on a post. 
If you keep that up, you'll never get rid of him.
We have many heroes in this war on terror, and we do need heroes. Kaplan is right when he says "the media is but one example of the slow crumbling of the nation-state at the upper layers of the social crust...", although it doesn't seem to be crumbling all that slowly to me. Perhaps that's because I became aware of it all at once, like a light bulb lighting up over my head.
It's a most interesting post. Thanks.
Thanks Gayle: I didn't link to his blog, so I should get partial credit.
Actually, I'm for getting the radicals' whacked out thoughts out in the public domain. No need to surpress their vile slander, and recall that's one of the reasons I started this blog.
I will add it to my post on the same Kaplan piece and post the below video.
I for one appreciate your bringing Dave's comment to the 'top' of a post. These people speak with forked tongues and don't even realize it.
Must be sad to have such a twisted brain.
A well put together post Donald. The steady erosion that you touch on is disturbing, but not unavoidable. I don't think that there's a shortage of those that still hold traditional American beliefs, but a festering of those that don't. This thing could go either way in the future. Complacency will have a predictable result..
Thanks Goat! I'll check out your post later...
Hi Prying1: I agree it's good to get their twisted stuff out in the public realm. It puts the lie to their irrationalism and deviousness.
Thanks for commenting!
Just John: Sure, the radical views are a minority, but they are having a significant effect, for example on the Democrats in Congress at present. Plus, the universities are breeding grounds for vile postmodern theories of all sorts, and some of these kids will be in power in the years ahead.
Don't forget as well that the rancid multiculturalism ties in to all the La Raza baloney, so it's a multipronged challenge.
I always had this idea that at worst we'd prob end up with a nation full of agnostics and atheist. I guess i just assumed they would still be somewhat decent people who would defend precious freedom and oppose tyranny.
I concede. I was wrong.
Even if the idea of God is a total fabrication, these people have one hell of a fabricated hole in their souls.
SteveH: Yes, they do...
Thanks for commenting!
Robert Kaplan has been embedding himself for the last 4 years with military units all over the world. He offers some of the best insights into military culture, and the importance of our "interventionism" in "small wars", where our soldiers are doing important work, good for the world, and not propping up dictatorships, but doing just the opposite. And we have the greatest successes in places where the media can't magnify an abu ghraib incident, sabotaging our efforts.
"Imperial Grunts" and "Hog Pilots and Blue Water Grunts" are essential reads.
Nice post Dr. Dr., I agree that it's sad that now our soldiers are victims and not heroes. But that would mean supporting them and it's easier for the left to hate and pity them without actually exposing their bias.
Dr. James Bowman's book last year noted that the rise of 'victimhood' as a virtue in the Judaic/Christian West began with the loss of 'honor' as a virtue after the carnage of WWI. The post-Vietnam Left's celebration of 'victimhood' would now simply be an extension of a sociological virus--nihilism--birthed by the Left in reaction to the failure of the 'war to end all wars.'
But then, nihilism is nihilism, so what does it matter when it began; what matters, is when and how it will end.
Wordsmith: I thinking of picking up Kaplan's latest...thanks for the tip!
Vegas Guy: The left wants to "love" that troops because they're victims. If they were heroes, they'd hate them. Go figure...?
Duoist: Interesting point. Can the hard-left's nihilism end? Good question. Even if they got everthing they wanted, they'd still be miserable....
If they got everything they wanted they would look around for more stuff to want. In fact they do not wait till they've everything they want, they add to the list daily...
No joke, Prying1!
Well, you know....if you don't believe in God, and you don't believe in an afterlife where good deeds are rewarded, then this life is all you get. They're trying to achieve utopia in this life - 'cause they believe that's all they're going to get. It's understandable. Futile, but unferstandable.
And, by the way, it makes death the only really absolute evil. Which makes me wonder why they aren't the condemners of abortions which prevent life...but that's just me.
Also - with 2 sons having served in the ME, I think I would have gone nuts without the Milbloggers. I'm _really_ thankful for the internet and the ability of the average "joe" to connect and tell their side of what's going on. Mudville Gazette keeps up to date links when the MNF-I has reports that are notable - as well as the news that doesn't get reported anywhere else. I have appreciated that. The drumbeat of negativity has been so omnipresent that any good news is welcome.
Thanks Suek: Yes, blogs are just indispensible for getting information that we otherwise wouldn't get from the MSM.
Have a good weekend!
Another great article. "The cult of victimhood..." We have been seeing this cult grow and flourish over the past years, and it is a real shame.
As to Fox News Channel, the best pro-America viewing they have is Ollie North. When he does a new "War Stories", he makes the soldiers #1. Ollie is nothing but a moderator, highlighting the MEN and WOMEN of the military, their lives, their experiences, their achievements. I think Ollie North should be put in charge of any upcoming specials on the military, because he does it right.
Thanks Debbie!
a compelling read for sure
Thanks Opinionnation Man!
I am going to repeat what was already said. This is a great post.
Thanks for writing this.
~M
Thanks Melissa!
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