Because ...- "'Murica!"

Let me tell you why, Freedom - that's why.

One of the things that’s frustrates me the most when I am watching or reading the news is that the “discussions” don’t include reasons and evidence to support a position. Reasons and evidence can be put in context and argued, parallels can be drawn, and lessons from history can be applied to contemporary choices.

  

Instead, they appeal to a moral authority that can’t disagree. Some of these justifications hold a definite persuasive power, but some are just plain funny when the  person in question gets so used to making this argument that they forgot these were actual people with real, factual histories – see Michele Bachman's hysterical quote on slavery.

Is this what the Founding Fathers would have wanted?  Or: This is what Jesus would do. Or my favorite: Because we are America –‘Murica!

Which means that a real discussion would happen; thereby causing one- or both- sides to have to compromise or change their stance.  As a politician or a pundit, you job is not to foster discussion, but to sell your point of view.

The reasoning they sell us goes like this: We all know that America is the ­­­­_____ (Insert superlative: greatest, most free, richest, best beacon of democracy), therefore it is our (Sometimes, God-given) duty or right to do X.

Image Courtesy of memegenerator.net

In this segment, Bill O’Reilly makes the case for intervention in Syria. His case is that America has freed people since WWII and should continue to be noble. No discussion of what has happened to the “freed” people after we intervened or talk about the cost from someone who is normally a deficit hawk. No, the reasons he provides are America’s nobility and because—America.

Of course, we all want to think we are the best at something. As Americans, we can include ourselves as part of the best, most rightest, awesome, flag-waving, bald eagle scream of freedom and democracy, and therefore we should: 

• Restrict guns
• Not restrict guns 
• Bomb Syria
• Fund education 
• Reduce the deficit 
• Increase military spending 
• Stand Your Ground
• Repeal Stand Your Ground 
• Share the American Dream who whoever wants 
• Keep America free for Americans 
• Keep the freeloaders away from our hard-earned tax dollars 
• Care for the sick and poor and less fortunate

Image Courtesy of quickmeme.com

Whatever the cause, it sure beats all of that tiresome research. And since no other country is America, whatever they do, we can’t learn from them. Why would we want to learn from other countries who have universal health care, or gun reform laws, or repeal the same? Whatever the lessons that they may hold, they don’t apply to us, ‘cause we are ‘Murica!