Here's a terrific response to Josh's view of the Russian/Georgia conflict. This is from my dad, Carl Uda. Again, I like hearing all sides to a story. My dad is great patriot and a war veteran. It has become popular to be un-patriotic and dis on our own country. I do not personally agree with all the policies America has had, but I still do love my country and consider myself blessed to live here. On a side note, I did hear a comment by an ABC anchor asking a reporter why we are so supportive of Georgia when they initiated this crisis. The reporter responded that it is because they have been such a close ally to the US and huge supporter of the Iraq war. After the US and Great Britain, Georgia has sent the most troops to Iraq.
Here's Carl's response:
"I think that it is great that you look at many sources for your information about the Russo-Georgian War. However, I would be careful about making the broad assumption that all American media is full of lies and all foreign media is full of truth. Personally, I have a lot more faith in the American media than most people. Call me gullible, if you will.
We should judge actions without bias for the system of government, but we should look at both past history and current actions when making those judgements. Having said that, I don't think a skunk can easily change its color or its smell. I believe that there are many Americans who stand with Georgia, There are many, like me, who are not totally cynical about the American Media. I hope we can all discern truth wherever it is to be found, whether it be in foreign media or the American media. For me, I hope we can trust Russia. Even Reagan trusted Russia. He said, 'Trust, but verify.' I think that is good counsel, 'Trust, but verify.'
There may be much truth in what you said about Russia and Georgia. You have to remember that when I grew up and witnessed history, I remember that Georgia, Ossetia, and Russia were all part of a larger union called the Soviet Union, also called the 'Evil Empire.' There are many good people in the former Soviet Union states, but there are still the hard core people who believe in the old ideology. So, maybe we are witnessing parts of the old evil empire doing evil amongst themselves. Whatever it is, it is horrific since many innocents must suffer, but I neither blame the USA nor am I ashamed that my country believes in supporting a democratic nation which has hopes and ideals to promote individual freedoms.
You know, I am glad I live in a free land where I can express my thoughts freely. I am glad you live in a land where you can express your thoughts freely. Obviously, in a country of millions, we have many millions of opinions and thoughts; however, as a nation, we all fundamentally believe in the Constitution of the United Stations and the Bill of Rights. We are held together by some unseen force or belief or power. Call it what you will.
I am proud to be an American and I have faith in the American way. America is not perfect, but I don't know of any other nation which can boast of our accomplishments. The fruits I see coming from America are much sweeter and more desireable than the fruits I have seen from the old Soviet Union and its fractured members. Call me a flag waving, proud, American. I am. I served my country when it wasn't cool to do so, just as our servicemen serve in Iraq when it isn't cool to do so. My fellow servicemen didn't come home from Viet Nam to ticker tape parades and acclaim. We came home. We didn't boast of our Viet Nam service. We were labeled as baby killers.
I grew up in the sixties when many people condemned our nation for going to war in Viet Nam and there were lots of civil unrest and civil disobedience. The images are disheartening in a democratic nation founded on some pretty wonderful principles. Yet, I have never seen a more ungrateful nation than that which exists today where people are quick to blame our country for everything from terrorism and rising gas prices to global warming. More people believe what the media in countries like Russia or Iran or France say than what the media in America says. I think it is a sad commentary on where we are headed as a nation. When people tell me what is wrong with America, I appreciate what is right with America. I have been to countries where they can only wish they could live in America.
So, what is my point? Why am I rambling on? Maybe I am stuck in the old Cold War mentallity. Maybe I believe that Saakashvili is a lying villain, a treacherous war criminal and murderer. After all, he belong to the former Soviet Union. Maybe, since I am stuck in my Cold War mentallity, I also believe that Putin and Medvedev are lying villains, treacherous war criminals and murderers, just like Arabs believe Bush is a lying villain, a treacherous war criminal and murderer.
John McCain, doesn't just speak for himself. I am one U.S. citizen who looks for opportunities to support struggling democracies against tyrant nations. I was taught when I was young, 'My country, right or wrong, my country.' I still believe that. I stand beside her and I hope the All Mighty will also continue standing beside her and guiding her.
I hope you will be open to contrary views and understand my love and loyalty to this country."
10 months ago
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3 comments:
Your blog is so interesting. I love hearing not only your viewpoints, but others as well. I believe that the only way we can really have strong beliefs & opinions is by looking at both sides of things. From the sounds of it, you definitely do your research! We had lot's of fun with your cute family on Friday too. We would love to spend more time in the next 4 months before we go! We'll keep in touch! :)
Thanks, Dad, for sharing your thoughts and opinions on this important issue. It's always good to see different viewpoints.
Like you, I love my country. I am proud of the ideals we, as a nation, strive to uphold. I fully subscribe and pledge allegiance to the principles upon which my country was founded.
In this case, Georgia, not Russia, violated and infringed on those principles. When Russia does the same, I oppose their actions, but this August, Russia rightly upheld its 1992 UN mandate as a peacekeeper in the region. Georgia started a war. Russia stopped it. It's that simple.
In your response, you said, “I would be careful about making the broad assumption that all American media is full of lies and all foreign media is full of truth.”
I agree. Likewise, we should be careful of making the broad assumption that all American media is full of truth and all foreign media is full of lies. Fortunately, I never made either assumption. I simply noted that President Bush never called the conflict a “Russian Annexation.” He called it a “Disproportionate Response.” After a little deductive reasoning, I asked the logical question.
Response to what? To what exactly was Russia responding so asymmetrically?
I found the answer quickly in foreign media, but I listened carefully to both sides in both languages, and I am able to report that the American media has not lied. To the contrary, American media has reported all the things I found in foreign media. They just bury it on page 105 after the obituaries, or they mention it as an aside.
Some New-Media outlets in America, blogosphere and such, were bold in printing and broadcasting the full truth. Sadly, the major networks did not initially report the actions of Georgia. Instead, they waited until they had boosted ratings with the Russian Resurgence Angle. Then, when ratings fell and the next news cycle began, they boosted ratings again with a new angle – the Shocking Revelation Angle. What was the shocking new development? Apparently, Georgia was accused of ethnic cleansing! Gasp! Stay tuned for details after these messages from our sponsors! This is not the most ethical method of reporting, but certainly the most profitable.
In other words, the American media is not lying. The foreign media is not lying. I am not lying. All sides agree that Georgia did indeed kill thousands of innocent men, women, and children. The Georgians shelled them in their cities, burned them in their homes, shot them in the streets, and crushed them as they fled. Those are the facts. The American media simply filtered the facts through a mechanism of editorial punditry, which reprocessed a story of Georgian Aggression and Russian Peacekeeping into a story of Georgian Freedom and Russian Annexation.
In your response, you said, "I neither blame the USA nor am I ashamed that my country believes in supporting a democratic nation which has hopes and ideals to promote individual freedoms."
Let me first say that I do not blame the USA, and I am not ashamed of my country. I never said I was. I said I was embarrassed by my country's position.
I love my country, though I do not always love the policies, positions, or actions taken by its government. I am sure that you still loved your country during the Clinton years, when I so often heard you complaining about the government's positions and policies. I am sure that you still loved your country during the Carter years, which I have heard you speak about with disdain.
It is because of my love for my country, and my pride in its ideals and principles that I oppose the position of this administration. In as much as I am embarrassed by my country’s position, I am certainly not ashamed when my country supports democratic nations that have hopes and ideals to promote individual freedom.
In this case, however, Ossetia is the democratic nation with those hopes and ideals to promote individual freedom. Ossetians just want to be free to choose their own leadership, write their own laws, and chart their own course. Georgia and Ossetia have both gained that freedom from the former Soviet Union, but Georgia would now take that freedom from the Ossetians. They would take it by force and subject them to genocide if they resist.
You said, “I am one U.S. citizen who looks for opportunities to support struggling democracies against tyrant nations.”
This is your chance, and you are missing it. America is missing it too.
Usually America is the country that comes to the aid of small, defenseless nations that are annexed by aggressor states. Remember Kuwait, Kosovo, Afghanistan, South Vietnam, South Korea, England, and France? This time, it was Russia that did the right thing, and America opposed it.
Usually America is the country that recognizes the independence and sovereignty of peoples seeking to be free and secure. Remember Israel, Taiwan, Tibet, The Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Georgia? This time, Russia gave recognition to a free people – an action America condemned.
I have never been ashamed when my country supported democratic nations that have hopes and ideals to promote individual freedom, and I am not ashamed or critical of Russia when they do the same.
Good for us. Good for them.
So why the sudden change in American behavior? It all comes down to global power and influence on the part of our government, and prejudice on the part of the American people.
You raised me to think critically and make judgments on principle, not prejudice. Prejudice, however, is not simply a dislike for blacks, or Asians, or Mormons. Prejudice is to judge without analyzing. It is to prejudge, or use judgments previously established, rather than making current judgments based on the present data. Prejudice assumes homogeny and uniformity in all variables within a test group whose members share only one variable.
The people that attacked the World Trade Center were Muslims; the guy next door is Muslim. They share that one variable. Should we assume homogeny and uniformity in all variables? Ergo, the guy next door is a terrorist.
The people acting now in Georgia are Russians; the people acting during the Cold War were Russians. They share that one variable. Should we assume homogeny and uniformity in all variables? Ergo, the people acting now are evil communists and want only to destroy the USA and enslave all free people.
You cannot make a decent judgment until you know all the variables, and it is not possible to know all the variables without knowing the people and hearing all sides. I respect the fact that you have been in many foreign countries; however, it is one thing to see a foreign people while on shore leave, and it is entirely another to live among them for a few years. Once the language barrier is removed, you quickly begin to see that people are people.
One of the most shocking things I learned after living in four former Soviet states was that Americans are not unique in our love for freedom or in our generosity and kindness. If anything, we are simply more blessed. We truly have a unique and special country; but billions of people in other nations are just as unique and special. They are just not so blessed!
We won the Cold War so that they could be so blessed, but are we really ready to let them join us in our greatness and prosperity? We once rejoiced for them when the Iron Curtain fell. Can we now discard our prejudice and abandon old stereotypes long enough to objectively watch them move toward freedom and support them in their journey, even if that journey leads them to the same high ground upon which we stand?
You said, “I am proud to be an American and I have faith in the American way. America is not perfect, but I don't know of any other nation which can boast of our accomplishments.”
Yes. We’re #1! We’re #1! And we really are. So many have tried to be, and so many have failed; but we were the first to do it the right way – with freedom and justice for all. Now that freedom and justice has reached others so far away, will we let them join us? Will we let them surpass us… or will we abandon the core values and beliefs that got us here, supporting tyrants and condemning peacekeepers just so we can look in the mirror and say that no other nation can boast of our accomplishments? We’re #1!
At some point, if we succeed in our stated objectives, all nations will be equal. If we truly stand for freedom and equality, we must be prepared to accept that, and we must believe that others can truly become like us.
Governments vary. Many are truly evil. Many oppress freedom and use terror and fear to enslave and control others. Still, people are people. Muslims, Russians, Koreans, and so many others share our love for freedom and show great kindness and generosity to the maximum extent of their God-given capacity. It is because nations are made up of these good people that all nations are capable of creating a government like ours. With the end of the Cold War, countries like The Russian Federation have begun that transition.
The Cold War Mentality says they are, and always will be, our enemies. Nothing they do can be good, and if it seems good, it is done with ill intent. The Humanitarian Mentality says they are children of the same God, capable of acting justly out of good intent. I understand that adjusting to this is hard for those raised during McCarthyism. Some prejudice runs very deep.
You said, “I don't think a skunk can easily change its color or its smell.”
I agree, but are the Russian people skunks? Were the American people skunks because Clinton was having an affair? Were we skunks when Nixon violated the constitution? People are people. A skunk is always a skunk. So throw it out! Throwing the skunk out is easy in our country. It was hard in the Soviet Union, but they did it! They threw out the evil regime and the good people of Russia claimed their freedom as children of God, not skunks.
The Russian government belongs to the Russian people – people who are people; freedom-loving, justice-loving, kind, and generous people. Should we then be so surprised and suspicious when the Russian government transitions to democracy and then acts in a way that mirrors our own? Why should we engage in such hypocrisy?
Over the years, we have exported so much more than blue jeans and rock and roll; we have exported democracy, and with it our ideology, our values, our worldview, our whole soul. The world is growing smaller as we advance as a species. With each new development in technology, with faster ways to travel and communicate, we venture farther out into the world that we have influenced for so long; and as we come closer to those we once thought so different, we must be prepared to face ourselves.
That is the final test, the moment when the world holds up a mirror to our face and shows us who we really are. We don’t want to see who they are, because we don’t want to admit what we are.
We have told ourselves, “They cannot have good motives when they do what we do, for we and they are different.”
Yet, deep inside, we fear that when we look in the mirror, we shall discover that we ourselves never truly had good motives, for we and they are the same.
In insisting that they are different and in condemning their actions, we have forever forbidden ourselves from seeing how much alike we really are; for once we do, we will finally know how the rest of the world sees us, and with that revelation, we must change or fall.
You said, “I hope we can trust Russia. Even Reagan trusted Russia. He said, 'Trust, but verify.' I think that is good counsel, 'Trust, but verify.”
I am glad that you hope we can trust Russia. You made a great point that we should trust but verify. Unfortunately, we are currently distrusting and not verifying.
The US government continues to accuse Russia of wrongdoing, and Russia continues to prove the US wrong. First, they did not attack Tiblisi, and they did not annex Georgia, despite our insistence that they would do so. Then, they did not even overthrow the elected Georgian government, despite our insistence that this was their intention. Then, they did not remain in Gori as an occupying force, and they actually completed their withdrawal when they said they would, despite our insistence that they would not. The so-called Russian Invasion or Annexation of Georgia is beginning to look more and more like an execution of a UN-mandated peacekeeping mission.
First, we did not trust, and then we failed to verify that we had been wrong in our mistrust. Reagan introduced the politics of courage. This is the politics of fear. I think we need the politics of hope. What are we to do? I suggest we praise and thank Russia for becoming our first real partner in our peacekeeping efforts around the world. Then we ought to reprimand Saakashvili for deceiving and attempting to use us in his scheme. We ought to condemn him for his war crimes and institute sanctions of military supplies and training.
Russia would make a great ally if we would only be willing to accept who they have become. They not only did the right thing, but they actually did it right. We should take notes! They were in there for a little over a week. They spent about $100 Million on the entire conflict. They lost less than 100 men. The Georgians will rebuild their own country for about $2.5 billion. The Georgian government is still in place, but the military threat is eliminated. No occupation, no rebuilding, no insurgency, all military objectives accomplished, Russian troops go home… wow!
We are spending trillions on a similar operation that has lasted years and cost the lives of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. I am not opposed to our “liberation” of Iraq, but really! There is a right and wrong way to go about peacekeeping in the world. The facts speak for themselves.
And that’s the problem. Just as we made Russia look bad when we destroyed the Russian-armed-and-trained Iraqi army, they have embarrassed us by destroying the US-armed-and-trained Georgian army. There you have it.
For citizens, this is about justice and freedom. For Governments, this is not about right and wrong. For our government, this is about maintaining world leadership. This is about remaining the world’s only superpower. This is about saving face and holding ground. Our actions in siding with Georgia reveal the deep dark secret within. Whenever a nation acts, there are two motives, the government’s motive, and the people’s motive. So we ask… why did the Government do this, and why did the people allow it?
Usually the Government does what it does in order to gain power or resources. The people allow it because the Government gives them a moral high ground to stand on. I can only guess why the US government invaded Iraq. The US citizens allowed it because they were afraid. They didn’t care about preventing another oil crisis. They were terrified of Saddam’s stockpile of WMD’s and the imminent smoking gun in the form of a mushroom cloud.
Maybe that was the only thing our government was concerned about as well. Who knows then why they never invaded North Korea? One thing I do know. Our Government did not invade Iraq to liberate the Iraqi people. If the US Government cared about oppressed people, it would have acted in Darfur or Rwanda. The American people do care. We care about freedom, and oppression, and genocide. That is why today, so many continue to support the Iraq War; they genuinely care about the freedom and security of the Iraqi people. If they were properly informed, they would genuinely care about the ethnic cleansing in Ossetia, and they would stand with Russia.
The Russian people allowed the invasion of Georgia because they genuinely care about freedom and justice. I can only hope that, as a human being, Medvedev was also moved by the plight of the Ossetian people. Perhaps, though, the Russian government invaded because it finally figured out how to play our game.
In the modern world, you can’t annex a nation, but you can liberate one and leave behind a military base. The effect is virtually the same, more global influence and power. You can create an over-the-horizon empire across the entire world without ever expanding your borders. Really… borders are so 20th century! Why do you need to redraw a line on a map if you can assert your will anywhere in the world? We’ve been spreading our influence this way for decades. Now they are ready to join us.
Good for us. Good for them.
You said, “When people tell me what is wrong with America, I appreciate what is right with America.”
Me too… Yes it is wrong that the US government has sided with Georgia in this conflict. Still, when I was told about our error, I chose to see what is right with America, and that is the hearts and motives of the American people. Yes, as I just outlined, Governments are often misguided, corrupt, and even evil. Whatever the motives of government may have been, I had faith in the American people.
If I did not appreciate what was right with America, I never would have written an email trying to inform the American people of the truth. My faith was not ill-placed. So many have written me back after researching the conflict for themselves and have expressed shock and disgust in what has transpired. They have thanked me for sharing the truth.
Americans want the truth, so they can make a righteous judgment! They want to do what’s right! Many had to put aside old prejudice and stereotypes just to bring themselves to investigate the conflict, but in the end, they were able to honestly accept that Georgia had acted wrongly, and Russia had done the right thing. They have reaffirmed my belief that Americans will do what it takes to stand for freedom and justice. That is what is right with America, and that is what is right with Russia.
Good for us. Good for them.
Some see the evil in others and say, “I hope I am wrong.”
I choose to see the good in others and say, “I hope I am right.”
I hope I am right about Russia, though I know all too well that evil might be taking hold again in that great land. If I am wrong and Russia moves against the free nations of the Baltic States, I would be the first to stand up and fight for freedom. I would not hesitate to return and defend my friends in those free nations. I would sacrifice all and be with them to the end, and it would be the end. God have mercy on us if ever our two nations collide.
We have a tendency to live up to what others think of us. We as Americans take pride in knowing that others have looked to us as an example. Because others see goodness in us, we strive to uphold that image. When we go to war, we avoid civilian casualties at great cost and risk to ourselves. We jeopardize our own security in order to protect the rights of those who would do us harm. We do it because it is right, and we do it because that is what America stands for. Others see goodness in us, and we see it in ourselves.
What if we could let others know that we see goodness in them? What if we, through our hope, gave them an image to uphold? We can choose to see the worst in others; but if we see the best in them, even if that is nothing more than a vision of their potential, we at least give them the opportunity to fulfill that vision. Sometimes it is our faith in others that plants the desire for goodness in their heart and opens the door for them to achieve their greatest potential. In a time when I knew my heart was full of darkness, I know it was your faith in me, Dad, which made me wish I were better. It gave me the desire to reach for something higher, an image to seek and uphold.
I am proud of you, Dad, for your service to our country and for your continued loyalty and dedication. I greatly admire your patriotism. I hope I can follow your example and always seek what is best for our great nation, and also what is right for all people. I understand that your position is not so much cynical as cautious, and not so much uninformed as skeptical. The young are indeed the reckless; but in America, that naive hope, that temerity, is so often rewarded with the revolutionary changes and monumental achievements that have become the hallmark of our national heritage.
You and I have different ways of showing our patriotism and love for our country. We come from different eras and are in many ways the product of our times; but like Medvedev said of the West, I too hope we can find a common language... with each other... as family... as friends... as a nation... as a world... as humanity. The realization of our vision of freedom, justice, and equality for all will ultimately require more than courage and more than strength; it will require that we listen to our hopes instead of our fears. It will require faith in humanity, and an earnest and honest quest for mutual understanding. May God show us the way.
Love,
Josh
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