Starved for Glory

Americans have always rallied around causes of democracy, liberty and freedom. Our passion to live and die by these ideals has led to many great military victories, including the one that led to the birth of our nation. Now, we are a people starved for glory. Once the Cold War ended, there was no common enemy to rally around. We relished the win over Soviet communism, but once the victory-rush was over, we were rudderless without a new enemy. And instead of an external enemy, a new enemy was found within: the Federal Government. A first expression of this was manifest in 1995, with the Oklahoma City bombing. With Bill Clinton at the helm, fear of a “New World Order” motivated the most extreme and militaristic elements of society. But with 9/11, a new external enemy emerged and gave new cause for those who relish and rejoice in freedom-fighting. By 2006, a war-weary country realized that it had been lied to and duped. And, with the al Qaeda enemy mainly dispersed into the craggy shadows and mountains in a far away land another enemy was needed. He emerged in the form of the President of the United States of America. And, that is what motivates the Tea Party today and that is why the GOP cares more about removing President Obama, all Federal safety-nets, welfare and anything considered an entitlement, than they care about enacting polices that may help the nation.