Do We Still Want To Win?

A recent Rasmussen poll found that 49% of Americans believe victory is likely in Iraq under a John McCain presidency. The poll found that only 20% believe it would happen under an Obama presidency. Could this be telling for McCain? Probably not. However, if national security becomes one of the two or three key issues in the November election, it would certainly favor McCain.

When I saw this poll, the first thing that came to mind was the opening address in the movie Patton. Particularly, this line...

"...all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, big league ball players, the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost, and will never lose a war... because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans."

It used to be that way. Sadly, the last four decades have changed all that. A vast portion of this country has lost the will to fight.

During the first 165 years of our nation's existence, Americans fought to protect this country, to build it, to make it the greatest nation on Earth. Americans were proud. They worked hard to make the U.S. strong. They fought to keep her free, and to free people around the globe from tyranny and despotism. Americans fought for ideals, for rights. Not rights granted by the government, but rights inherent to us all. Rights, as the Constitution described, "that they are endowed by their Creator".

Things have changed dramatically during the past four decades. According to the "enlightened" liberals in our land, blind patriotism is just wrong. The only true patriots are those challenging the government. According to them, fighting is evil. They say war is wrong and never justified. They see our military as something to be derided and reviled, not praised and appreciated. To the Left, at best, the military is a necessary evil. Those on the Left see organized religion, one of the foundations this nation was built upon, as a joke. Traditional faith, morals and values are alien to them. They can absolutely be the most mean-spirited, hateful people you will ever meet (see Democratic Underground; Warning: Graphic Language). They mock, insult, ridicule and castigate anyone who sees things differently, all the while basking in their self-righteousness.

The USA was once the symbol for all that was possible in this world. Now, more often than not, we're a punch line.

The Rasmussen poll shows that more people think the U.S. would see victory in Iraq under McCain than Obama. What will it mean, then, if Obama wins in November? I say it shows that Americans no longer care about winning.

In this America, with all due apologies to the late General Patton, the very thought of winning is hateful to Americans.