When I started this blog three years ago, I had in mind showing the truth for what it was. I thought it would be fairly clean cut and somewhat straight forward. It is not. There is a lot of misinformation in the world today, many different factions, much mis-education. It’s hard to know who to trust.
On Tuesday I will have been a citizen of the USA for three years. Shortly after becoming a citizen, this blog, which had only been around for a week at that time, began to become political, as I then felt I was able to express my opinions freely.
The 2012 presidential race was in full swing and primaries were beginning to be held. I favored Ron Paul, as many of you will remember. I did not like many of the Republican candidates, and still don’t. But understanding specifically why isn’t exactly black and white.
Back in 2012 I was getting a lot of my information from a website called www.whatreallyhappened.com which seemed to be very informative and on the ball. Now, in hindsight, I realize that half of it is just wild eyed conspiracy theories. Now some of it is actually quite good. There are some legitimate concerns that the site expresses. I believe the owner of the site genuinely cares about his country and about freedom. But there is a phrase that now sticks out to me like a sore thumb whenever I do any research now.
“Check your premise.”
If a website, news organization or person is acting out of the premise that the USA is bad, then everything they say is going to be bias, and nothing good can come out of it. There’s another reason why the phrase “pessimism is a self fulfilling prophesy” is so true.
How can everything the USA ever does be bad? What does that mean for the person criticizing it? Are not many of those critisizing it Americans themselves? Does that mean they are bad also?
What really struck me last year was Dinesh D’souza’s ‘America Imagine a World Without Her’ documentary. He debunked many of the myths even I was partially sucked into.
I think the worst idea I’ve been sucked into is the anti Israeli propaganda. Now I’m sure there’s been some bad things that Israel has done, and continues to do. But for goodness sake; that’s war. That’s what happens when your neighbors all hate you, when other nations seek to wipe you from the face of the planet. I now think its very naive to criticize America, to criticize Israel, without also criticizing their enemies. What is so good about the terrorists? What do they stand for? Peace? Justice? Equality?
I think its very easy to give the benefit of the doubt to a mysterious other nation or group. While it is very easy to be critical of those close to home. When you’re up close and personal, you can point out every defect. When you try to judge from afar, things get warped.
Lets take my foreign policy ideas from a couple years ago. I thought the US should pull back many of its troops from over seas. But what my friend kept telling me at the time, and what I have now seen with my own eyes, is that “nature abhors a vacuum.” Those were his words, and by golly he was right. Just look at Russia! The US and NATO get all wobbly under the lack of leadership from Obama and the like, and KGB Putin pounces! He even annexes the Crimea! He gobbles it all up and merges it into his own country. And what does the media say? Nothing! They down play it. Amazing!
I have learned a lot over the last year. I may have been busy. I may have worked a lot. But I have learned a lot also. I said from the beginning that if I was wrong on anything, I would admit it. I may have been off key on these few issues, but I’m confident I hit close to home on everything else.
The pursuit of truth is a messy endeavor. It’s hard ever to be certain. Lately I find myself listening to the Blaze radio network, and I think Glenn Beck is right on most things. Family, Faith and Freedom. I believe in the preservation of the Constitution. I believe in the American way. I know that this country isn’t perfect, but I know also that it really is the best out there.
I’m sure there will be trying times ahead. There will be rocky days, and much to endure. Keeping a needle pointed toward the truth is important. And values will triumph through.
Life is what you make it. It isn’t perfect. You will make mistakes. Mistakes help guide us, if we choose to learn from them. I have a little journal that I now keep, there is a space for each day. Each day has a new quote. Today’s quote is “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” This blog isn’t perfect. It never has been, it never will be. There will always be holes in it. It’s up to you to do your own research. I’m just trying to do what I can to help. I want to preserve the American dream, not just for myself and for my family, but for generations to come.
I didn’t realize just how bad things were when I first moved here. But then, aren’t things always bad? My grandparents grew up during World War II, with bombs falling over head. Many of you who read this grew up during the cold war. So is it really that much different? Maybe. Maybe there are now more enemies within. But we have so many more tools to preserve freedom at our disposal now. These blogs are one of them.
As Ron Paul once said “an idea whose time has come, cannot be stopped by any army or any government.” The ideas of freedom continue in this great experiment we call America. Yesterday’s quote from my little journal is ‘by doing a little bit each day, you can get a lot accomplished.” What are you doing each day to maintain yourself? What are you doing to maintain freedom?
Pursuing the truth is messy, but the truth will set you free.
