This was a very interesting week of study. I actually got upset at the United States Government a couple of times this week during the course of study. The first was when I viewed the Ghosts of Rwanda video. Our government and other leaders displayed what true bureaucracy is and the need not to be blamed for trouble or deaths that may have occurred if a military option was used. I understand that the government did not want another Somalia but if we would have sent troops over to Rwanda the results would have been different. The military and opposition forces for both Somalia were different. We should have intervened.
The second time I was upset was when I read the articles on how we treated fellow American during world war II. I would have understood if they were known to be actively plotting against the U.S but these were innocent people that showed no signs of resentment toward the U.S. I think that a lot of problems would have been avoided if the government would have used their heads and not the fear and anxiety of the U.S. population, which grew because of the Media.
Hopefully we can look back at the history of the United States and our actions toward others and actually learn from them. By studying history we can ensure that we do not repeat it and make the same mistakes twice. I do think that there are some items that we are doomed to repeat. This is not because of a lack of knowledge but because of the fact that we think we can do it better and differently that ends with a different result. We may be right, but I feel that we will still have the same result in the past.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Bill: Very insightful posting. Just like you, I was saddened and surprised about the impact of Roosevelt's decision to approve 'Camps' that housed innocent Japanese Americans--especially since he is revered as one of our best Presidents. But, I also learned that he was under enormous political pressure, at the time. That said, this was 'a first' for our Nation and so it's hard to know what is truly the right decision. Not, so the second time around on 9/11. And, we haven't gotten much better after all this time. So, your posting really resonates with me on various levels--yes--we should learn from the past and try to get it right next time instead of doing the same thing and expecting a different result. I suppose that's what makes history such a fascinating topic. I was also shocked by our reaction during the Rwanda genocide incident--we are great humanitarians, but this time we simply screwed up. Instead, we could have made a difference--we know that and so did our Government--albeit too late. Anyway, we agree on much of these topics. Good posting--excellent work. Terry
ReplyDeleteMarch 25, 2010 4:02 PM