[lit-ideas] National Symbols
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 13:48:24 -0800
John McCreery didn't like my gun-fighter analogy and while I don't know
whether he objects to gun-fighter symbolism in general or just my particular
application, a lot has been written on this sort of thing.
I have noticed that the Japanese value their Samurai in about the same way
we value our Western Cowboy gun-fighter. The last Samurai died off about
the same time our last gun-fighter did, but the symbols remain. When
Japanese businessmen were under extreme pressure to enter into economic
competition against Western powerhouses, they invoked the code of Bushido
and fancied themselves economic Samurai. Not all Japanese think of
themselves as Samurai to be sure but when a symbol is needed in certain
sorts of emergencies, the Samurai is available to the Japanese.
Great wars become symbols as well. Winston Churchill commented upon
Hitler's belief that Americans could be discounted because they didn't have
a warrior tradition. Hitler didn't believe they would enter the European
War. Churchill wrote that he had read about America's Civil War and knew
Americans would fight. What was he saying? Surely everyone who fought in
the Civil War was dead or senile by the time WWII broke out. What did that
have to do with Americans fighting in Europe?
The Civil War is one of our symbols. We are citizen soldiers (not Samurai).
We join the military in time of emergency, and when called upon we do as
well, if not better, than the professional military. Our Civil War, whether
our ancestors were on the South or the North, is symbolic proof of who we
are as soldiers.
I'm familiar with Marine Corps symbols. The Germans in World War One didn't
rate us highly, but after Belleau Woods the Germans called us "Devil Dogs,"
and we were proud of that. Notice that I say "we," even though I didn't
fight at Belleau Woods. But Belleau Woods is one of a Marine's symbols as
is the greater symbol "The Marine Corps" itself.
In reading about the Arabs, I noted that they were highly attracted to
Sayyid Qutb's characterization of them as warriors in the cause of Muhammad.
They were inherently courageous, more courageous than anyone else and it was
only the evil undermining of others, foreigners and traitors that caused
Arabs to lose sight of that. What they need to do now is return to the
Sharia and become as warlike as the warriors of old. No one can stand
against us! Bernard Lewis and others noted this desire to recapture their
glorious past which he didn't think possible. Neither do it, but I do think
their past contains symbols they (many of them) are applying to themselves
today.
At one time I was stationed near some Australians and got to know several
fairly well. They had traditions not unlike those in the Marine Corps.
They respected us more than other U.S. military branches, but I don't know
what symbols or traditions came into play to permit them to think that.
What symbols do the Canadians have?
We in the West have a tradition; we can't even call it a symbol, of
tolerance. We fought our religious wars but after the Peace of Westphalia
we gave that up. Since that time our "RIGHTS" and "FREEDOMS" have been
hammered out, but other people in other parts of the world have traveled a
different route. I marvel that so many in Hong Kong and Japan seem to have
senses of humor like ours. Did they get it from us? That is clearly not
the case in the Arab Middle East. They have no tradition of "Free Speech,"
and don't like the Danish Cartoons.
In the Old West, if you called a gun-fighter a liar, you'd better go for
your gun. The modern Islamist is like that. You have insulted us and we
need to kill you, but if we can't we'll kill one of your relatives or
someone 1000 miles away that reminds us of you. Someone called this "mad,"
but it isn't. It is just behavior unacceptable to us in the West. If
certain important people in the West capitulate to the Arab Warrior demands,
he may temporarily satisfy him, but he is surely going to offend his
[Western] constituents.
Lawrence
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