Posted 8:36 AM by steve

Pat Robertson is catching a lot of flak - from both the right and the left - for his comment that ""Over 100 years, I think the gradual erosion of the consensus that's held our country together is probably more serious than a few bearded terrorists who fly into buildings". Captain's Quarters, Professor Bainbridge, The Moderate Voice, LGF, Kleiman and Glenn Reynolds are just a few of those jumping all over Robertson.

But, dare I say it, Robertson may be right.... in a way.

A "few bearded terrorists" crashing airplanes into buildings do NOT really pose a threat to America. America is too big and too strong to be in danger of collapsing as a result of what happened on 9-11. I'm not saying that 9-11 didn't hurt. Nor am I saying that terrorists don't have the potential of inflicting some degree of harm and damage on us. But they don't have the potential of destroying this country. Does anybody really believe that another terrorist attack - whether from the bearded or clean shaven types - would result in our abandoning our way of life? They don't have the potential of bringing us to our knees, of forcing our surrender, of dictating terms to us. They have the ability to make things more difficult for us, they have the ability to kill a whole bunch of us, but that is about it - they can not defeat us, they can not make us give up what it means to be an American.

In the same way, neither Nazi Germany and Japan really had the ability to destroy America. Even during the dark winter of 1941-1942, where events sure didn't seem to be going our way, Germany and Japan were well on their way to losing the war... they just didn't know it at the time. Neither Germany nor Japan had the ability to really take the fight to us. Neither was in a position of being able to force us to change our way of life - neither of them could force us to accept changes we didn't want to make.

Part of the reason for this is because Americans were, and are, united in standing against these outside forces. While there were, and are, Americans who align themselves with the interests of our enemies, the overwhelming majority of Americans banded together to defend America, first against the Nazis and the Japanese, and now against the threat from terrorism. This might be a bit over the top, but I just don't see America ever being defeated when the American people get it in their heads to stand together.

Only Americans can force changes in, to quote Robertson, the "fabric that holds our nation together. Whether the fabric is in good shape or in need of some serious alterations depends, of course, on who is doing the looking. The likes of Robertson may prefer things left alone. The Andrew Sullivans, on the other hand, sure would like to see some things changed.

From the very beginning of our still-young country, there have been battles over determining what form that fabric should take. Sometimes the fight has taken place in the legislatures, sometimes in the streets, sometimes in the bedrooms. Sometimes, the battle has taken place in the courts. Right now, I think it's fair to say that a number of judges have grabbed their needles and sewing machines and are busily making alterations to the fabric.

Alterations that the likes of Robertson would very much prefer to see unmade. To someone who likes the fabric the way it is - or, at the very least, doesn't like the proposed alterations - these judicial tailors are indeed 'ruining' things.


Now, for the disclaimers. One, I don't like Robertson, I don't read or watch him, I usually just try to ignore him. I agree with him that the courts are making a whole lot of changes - some I like, others I don't. I don't agree with Robertson's view that what the courts are doing are destroying America - basically because I don't agree with his view of what our fabric should look like. Nor am I trying to downplay the threat we do face from terrorists or diminish the contributions of those who fought against the Germans and the Japanese. My sympathies go out to those who have suffered from terrorism and those who suffered losses in wartime. Anybody who has read this blog knows I believe we should be even more aggressive in seeking out and killing those who would harm Americans - not because they pose a threat to our way of life, but because that is what we should do to those who seek to harm Americans.

It's just that I woke up this morning in one of my contrarian moods - I figured if the guys I usually agree with are all aligned on the same side of an issue, it might be an interesting exercise to see if I could take the other side, to defend Robertson. Now that I have done so, I need a shower.

UPDATE: It's been pointed out to me that Lincoln made the same point a number of years before I thought of it. Great minds at work, huh?