How Do We Get Respect Back?

[Beautiful_Dreamer]

I don't know Moore, and wont defend him.  I will defend Limbaugh however.

Limbaugh is upbeat about America whereas the Dems are constantly deamoizing America and pointing out all or faults and our deficiencies. 

We can get respect back in the world by listening to America and praising our accomplishments and our contributions to world peace and prosperity.   

I don't listen to Limbaugh because I have heard some very offensive things come from his mouth about non-political matters (Check this out: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2008/08/rush-limbaugh-john-edwards-affair-is-elizabeths-fault/), and it is pretty plain to me that he and many other pundits use hyperbole and go out of their way to upset people because that is what gets attention.  Anything honorable or agreeable that many pundits say gets obscured by their rhetoric to the point that many of them are not really worth listening to.

And respecting America doesn't mean blowing sunshine up its ass, to be blunt. I respect my husband greatly, but if I am asked about something that bothers me, I am going to tell the truth rather than pretending he is perfect in every way. Sometimes ignoring things does no one any favors. I actually see being willing to tell the truth, even if it means constructive criticism, to be *more* of an act of respect because it shows that the person cares. Some criticisms are only in the spirit of rudeness, but many are in an effort to suggest/further improvement. If I didn't have respect for someone or something, I wouldn't even try to make suggestions as to how he/it can improve because I wouldn't care-I wouldn't see anything good to talk about.

[allthegoodnamesweretaken]

You're making this more difficult than it needs to be.

I'm sure you can find something in there that you can disagree with. 

 

[Beautiful_Dreamer]

SW, check your email. All, you too.

(Oh, and SW were my initials before I got married )

[Faithfulee]

I don’t think the comment “blowing sunshine up its ass” is respectful of either this conversation or the author.

Examining the many different viewpoints of complicated situations is what we all need.  Rush, on political matters at least, presents a viewpoint that is not heard in the traditional media.  Perhaps that is why Rush is fabulously successful and  the media is failing.

Would that we all knew the “truth”.  If fact there are very few truths that we could agree on completely.  In terms of dealing with spouses,  my liberal wife and I rarely agree on the “truth” in political matters, but  our respect for each other  involves delicate, indeed diplomatic  efforts to  alter our thinking.  We do both love America and share many other values that makes political discussions  far  less significant.

National politics and diplomacy is different.  We assume that both parties love America, but I believe that the dems, in their effort to demonize  President  confuse the world and in fact demonize America.  The current situation in Georgia is a good example.  Some on the left  say “it is all America’s fault, because we didn’t have a clue as to what Russia’s intentions were”  That is an absurd statement.

We will get respect back when such absurd comments are dismissed immediately.  They are not.

In fact McCain was more on top of this situation than even President Bush.  Obama revealed his weakness and lack of executive experience by his wish washy opening statement on the subject and his later coming to agree with McCain’s position. 

McCain made a great comment in front of a large audience after he told the audience that the Georgan  personally asked him to thank the American people for their support.  After applause, Mc Cain said  “Today we are all Georgians”

The public’s knowledge of Georgia is imperfect that this is a time to support America by respecting our efforts to bring peace there, rather than blaming America.

[SquirleyWurley]

America will be a better place when more people do NOT dismiss critical questions, but when more people DO dismiss extreme/absolute/over-general/over-broad rhetorical nonsense from the likes of ideologues left or right (whether from Rush or from others).

McCain and Obama both said very similar things on this situation, as far as I've heard.  I thought Bush said a lot of good things on the subject.  Not sure what will be done, how it will play out, what with Russia still having access to nukes, the delicateness of the situation, the complicated relationships between various nations, the lack of familiarity with what's going on in Georgia, the propaganda that Russia is putting out there, etc.

[Faithfulee]

We can get respect back by standing behind American Values.

We have an African American and a Women on the tickets for President and Vice President of the United States  All Americans can be proud of that.

We also have made remarkable Progress in Iraq,  Violence is down, the democracy is working,  Shia and Sunni leaders have signed a Fatwa promoting peace and the rejection of alQuaeda and other Terrorists.  Together these events portent a transformation in the Middle East,  The second Democracy.  If we stand by American principles of  individual freedoms and  a government by civil law rather than religious law  we can be remembered as the country that Changed the Islamic world, and changed it for the better.

America is faced with financial  problems that demand that we show leadership in reaching solutions, because our economy is linked to the world economy.  If America fails, the world economy will also fail.  We have two competing ways of looking at the problem, one is market oriented with lower taxes and is focused on growing the economy and helping individuals help themselves.  The other is a more “socialist” approach with more taxes and more government.  How we decide this will also affect the world economy.

While we can be proud to present to the world these two different political viewpoints,  I believe that the conservative approach with less government and more economic growth is the one that will best benefit the world. 

We will get respect back if we respect ourselves and commit the country to helping the successful candidate with his vision.

[allthegoodnamesweretaken]

What are "American values", and what makes them specifically "American"?

all