When I was in high school I was one of the biggest kids in my class, but I had been taught something by my father about the use of force. Bullying, he told me, was not something that a “man” did. It was not an act of courage, but was the opposite, it was the behavior of a coward. He was adamant that my size and strength was never to be used to my own personal advantage. To do that was dishonorable.
That’s why I have a sinking feeling when the president or high officials of my nation stand at a podium and talk about what other nations “must” do. That’s why I so strongly object to my country starting wars of aggression, and talking about, implementing, “regime change” in smaller nations. That’s why the talk of America “kicking ass” and the chants of “USA, USA. USA” bother me.
And now we even say that we will respond with military action to a computer hack, that “everything is on the table” if anyone messes with our computers. Armed force has become our all encompassing answer. America has become the world’s ultimate bully.
I remember happy years growing up on bases of Strategic Air Command, with its motto, “Peace Is Our Profession.” My father served his nation in uniform for 47 years and raised two sons to shun the bully’s role, and I’m not sure he would be very proud of what his nation has become.
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