Posted by
peripheral on Friday, February 05, 2010 6:00:25 AM
From My Perspective - - -
Chutzpah is a Yiddish Word meaning: “unbelievable gall; insolence;
audacity.” Some of the synonyms are: “insolence, impertinence,
impudence - the trait of being rude and impertinent; inclined to take
liberties.” This idea is encapsulated in the novel – THE UGLY AMERICAN.
“The 1958 novel, takes place in a fictional nation called Sarkhan (an
imaginary country in Southeast Asia that somewhat resembles Burma or
Thailand, but which is meant to allude to Vietnam) as its setting and
includes several real people, most of whose names have been changed.
The book describes the United States losing struggle against Communism
because of innate arrogance and the failure to understand the local
culture.”
Innate Arrogance can be seen currently as a side-issue in the Health
Care Provisions. It cannot be called a debate inasmuch as some people
are prevented from the discussions about this major legislation. Even
though most people working on this legislation have not read the 2,000
page proposal, it appears that the Senior Citizen is observed as being
the major cost factor in Health Care Disbursements. Someone responded
to the Senior Citizen Generation in the following: ”Senior Citizens are
constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the
modern world, real or imaginary. We know we take responsibility for all
we have done and do not blame others. However, upon reflection, we
would like to point out that it was NOT the senior citizens who took:
The MELODY out of music; The PRIDE out of appearance; The COURTESY out
of driving; The ROMANCE out of love; The COMMITMENT out of marriage;
The RESPONSIBILITY out of parenthood; The TOGETHERNESS out of the
family; The LEARNING out of education; The SERVICE out of patriotism;
The GOLDEN RULE from rulers; The NATIVITY SCENE out of cities; The
CIVILITY out of behavior; The REFINEMENT out of language; The
DEDICATION out of employment; The PRUDENCE out of spending; The
AMBITION out of achievement; or GOD out of government and school. We
certainly are NOT the ones who eliminated PATIENCE AND TOLERANCE from
personal relationships and interactions with others!! We do understand
THE MEANING OF PATRIOTISM, and remember those who have fought and died
for our country.
In the novel, THE UGLY AMERICAN,
an observation is made: “…a Burmese journalist says: For some reason,
the [American] people I meet in my country are not the same as the ones
I knew in the United States. A mysterious change seems to come over
Americans when they go to a foreign land. They isolate themselves
socially. They live pretentiously. They're loud and ostentatious.
Ultimately, the phrase ugly Americans comes to be applied to Americans
behaving in this manner…” It’s interesting how pretentious (claiming or
demanding a position of distinction or merit, especially when
unjustified) and unprincipled behavior surfaces when an individual
enters another culture or context.
It will also be interesting to see how the plight of 10 Baptist
Missionaries will unfold in Haiti. MSNBC reported yesterday: “Ten U.S.
missionaries in Haiti were charged Thursday with child kidnapping and
criminal association for allegedly trying to take children illegally
out of the earthquake-hit country. After announcing the charges,
Haitian Deputy Prosecutor Jean Ferge Joseph told the 10 their case was
being sent to an investigative judge. That judge can free you but he
can also continue to hold you for further proceedings, the deputy
prosecutor told the five men and five women in a hearing…” The
statement by the 10 is: “We didn't know what we were doing was illegal.
We did not have any intention to violate the law. But now we understand
it's a crime…” Romans 13:1-7
includes these words to all followers of Christ in all cultures: “Let
every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no
authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by
God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has
appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not
a terror to good conduct, but to bad…” One has a responsibility to
ascertain what the applicable laws are in a country or culture before
an action is taken. This is not debatable nor are alternative behaviors
acceptable. I Peter 2:13-20 is also a reminder to be submissive to governing authorities. Consider these things with me!