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Nov. 23, 2004 There's an old song by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, "Against the Wind." The final refrain goes: "Against the wind... See the young man running... Against the wind... See the old man running... Against the wind... See the cowboys ridin' Against the wind... See the cowboys ride... Against the wind... Against the wind...." Natan Sharansky, the Soviet dissident, recently spoke of George W. Bush thusly: "I told the president, 'There is a great difference between politicians and dissidents. Politicians are focused on polls and the press. They are constantly making compromises. But dissidents focus on ideas. They have a message burning inside of them. They would stand up for their convictions no matter what the consequences.' "I told the president, 'In spite of all the polls warning you that talking about spreading democracy in the Middle East might be a losing issue--despite all the critics and the resistance you faced--you kept talking about the importance of free societies and free elections. You kept explaining that democracy is for everybody. You kept saying that only democracy will truly pave the way to peace and security. You, Mr. President, are a dissident among the leaders of the free world.' " http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/rosenberg200411190851.asp It's good to be a dissident, riding against the wind, when the wind is blowing foul and corrupt and oppressive. Indeed, cowboys frequently have to ride against the wind. It's tough and dangerous work, but somebody has to do it. The news reported it thusly in Chile when Bush turned back to aid his Secret Service agent: "All of us journalists agree that President Bush looked like a cowboy. It was total breach of protocol. I've seen a lot of John Wayne movies, and President Bush was definitely acting like a cowboy." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2550-2004Nov21.html?sub=AR "Against the wind... See the cowboys ridin'..." Perhaps in Argentina, where they have gauchos, journalists might appreciate a cowboy more. Perhaps in Chile they would appreciate John Kerry's effete snobbishness more. After he fell while snowboarding: "I never fall down. That son of a bitch ran into me," he said after a Secret Service agent, out on the slopes to protect his ungrateful a**, accidentally nudged him. Yeah, maybe they would appreciate that more. As for me, I'll keep watching the cowboy ridin' against the wind with admiration and appreciation. He's riding against an ill wind that blows no good from the corrupt capitals of the rest of the world. It's a good thing he's not blowing with that wind as Kerry would have done. ------------ About the author Brooks A. Mick: 63-yr-old physician, still practicing medicine but retired from the US Army. Write just for the fun of it, but working on novel in the vein of Tom Clancy's politico-military genre. Email: brooks15@cox.net ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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