America the Beautiful: What We're Fighting for

I enjoyed reading this writing by Dinesh D'Souza. The author took a very complicated topic and made it easier to understand in just a few pages. The United States is the best country in the world. It is not perfect, but it is the best. We embrace differences in race, religion, social and political views, and others with open arms in a way, and on a scale, that no other country ever has. This diversity brings us strength. Our country is a melting pot for culture, ideas, invention and innovation. As D'Souza suggests, this is part of the problem. In some parts of the world our successes are looked on with envy, distaste, and even hatred. Our recent conflicts with Radical Islam is one example. Aside from not understanding our society, many Radical Islamic people see our society as an abomination to what their strict religion demands. In their religious views we are "the great satan" as they say. This mixed with the lack of opportunity for employment, education, security and lack of access to non-biased media in the middle east has created the animosity between their culture and ours. I don't know if anyone can honestly say they have a solution. I have been over to Iraq and Afghanistan and talked with enemy combatants, through an interpreter, after their capture. I don't see a way for it to end any time soon. The fastest way is to make them the same as us, but that will take generations of American occupation and enforcement of a democratic form of government in Iraq. I don't think our country has the patients for an Iraq project that will last that long. So we will come home, they will eventually devolve again, and we will continue to fight. America has tried again and again to change countries to be more like our own, and to spread Democracy, but we usually don't stay the course and put in the time, money, and effort to really make a change. Some people say it is not our business to try to change other countries to be more like us. I say, we are the strongest nation the world has ever seen and if other countries abuse and murder their own people we should overthrow thier leaders and teach the people how to govern themselves. I believe we have a moral responsibility to help liberate those who cannot liberate themsleves. The U.S. Special Forces Motto explains why our special forces exist and says it best: "To Free The Oppressed."