"Those who fail to learn from History are doomed to repeat it."
As I watch events unfold in the world, I increasingly remember parallels I have lived through. I've reached a point in life, where I realize that the current generation has no memory and little education in those same events. Growing up, I had a tainted view of Viet Nam, and elder relatives that spoke in terms of the Great Depression. I laughed at my cousin's crazy afro and bell bottoms, as he attempted to jump on the latest trends, and felt the pains of friends and family as the Nation went through the gas shortages, high inflation, and high interest rates of the Carter years. The American Steel companies were already locking their doors.
In the 1970's, the American people felt defeated. American Politicians & Peacenik Protestors had forced a defeat in Viet Nam. An American President had resigned in disgrace. An Old Ally in Iran had been overthrown, and an Islamist dictatorship had taken over, and taken our Embassy hostage. The Big 3 US Automakers looked ready to shutter the factory doors, as they couldn't compete for American consumers with cheap Japanese imports. Inflation and Interest Rates had hit double digits in the United States. And Nations were falling to communism around the world.
The US appeared impotent in the face of a 3rd World insurgency that had invaded Our Embassy and was holding Our Diplomats hostage. Presidential interference in the manner in which a rescue operation was carried out led to a disaster in the desert, while his "diplomatic" efforts made America look the fool.
America was astounded when Carter gave away the Panama Canal, which had been paid for not only in American blood, sweat, and tears, built with American ingenuity when all others had given up, but bought from Colombia and brought prosperity to the Panamian Nation, the United States had helped create as a result. Though Panama had long been a US ally, when they found they couldn't maintain the canal on their own, it was the Chinese, not the United States they contracted to maintain the gates between the two oceans.
To Americans, it seemed the question was not if Freedom would fold its Flag forever, but how long we could hold out. And the perceived answer was measured in years, perhaps decades.
In 1980, American Voters chose a different President. The "Peanut Farmer," who also happened to be a Veteran of the Navy, and a Nuclear Scientist, was traded out for an Actor. For those that lived through the times, Carter was remembered as a nice guy, who seemed to make the wrong decisions, most of the time. He left the Nation with a defeated, untrained, and drug-riddled Military.
And his one lasting, positive achievement was the Camp David Accords, which brought Israel and Egypt to a lasting peace. Every President since Reagan has attempted to replicate a Mid-East Peace Deal of similar magnitude, and failed. While US Troops are still stationed on the Sinai Peninsula as part of a peacekeeping force for that Treaty, it appears that the Treaty itself is going the way of the Dodo bird as a result of "Arab Spring" and the current Administration's pushing an old ally out of power.
We had recovered from the defeatist 70's.
And the Rewards of the 80's had carried through the early years of the Bush Admin.
Then came the "Peace filled 90's"
Stumble It!
