We live in an age disturbed, confused, bewildered, afraid of its own forces, in search not merely of its road but even of its direction. There are many voices of counsel, but few voices of vision; there is much excitement and feverish activity, but little concert of thoughtful purpose. We are distressed by our own ungoverned, undirected energies and do many things, but nothing long. It is our duty to find ourselves.
Woodrow Wilson, Baccalaureate address, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, June 9, 1907
It is funny how somethings are very different than they were one hundred years ago and how some are very much the same.
RJ's Corner - Having My Say 
Yes, democracy is messy, so is the world. It certainly helped to have an intellectual to lead us at that time period. Oh yes, he did take us into WWI and develop the League of Nations to stop all future wars.
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Yes, Janette democracy is a messy business.
I see many similarities between Wilson and Obama. They were both intellectuals who liked to ponder rather than recklessly dive into things as their predecessors did. Yeah, Wilson took us to war but only after several years of resistance to do just that. It took the sinking of a passenger ship that killed scores of Americans and a very threatening telegram to Mexico to push him in that direction.
They both also had very vicious enemies in congress who tried to stifle anything they wanted to accomplish. I wonder what might have been the result if Wilson had been healthy enough and without those antagonists to actually have accomplished the strong League of Nations he envisioned. Would WW II have become the monster that it was and would we have constant struggles with various despots even to this day? I guess we can only dream of such a world.
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The League of Nations first real work was the Treaty of Versailles. That treaty so stripped the new country of Germany as to starve their people with hyper inflation, which laid the groundwork for Hitler. The pacifists continued in Europe, permitting Hitler to take over several countries hoping he would be appeased.
Here come the other plane….
We, the US, no longer go in to help people during a genocide. We say, “it is their problem.” I agree, but I cannot reconcile my attitude with my Christian spirit. Did Christ only mean for us to care for our immediate neighbor when He spoke about the least of my brother? I am not being argumentative here. It is actually a question I ask myself.
I’m ready for oil to go up a great deal (Europe depends on the Ukraine, Syria and Libya). I am trying not to care that the people in the old Soviet Union will go back to the oppression that they live under before. I don’t really care if China takes over.a number of Japanese places- or Taiwan. It is easier for me and the US, for sure. It is always easier to be a pacifist when no one is taking away my life or liberties.
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As usual Janette, you will have the final word……..
The League of Nations turned out nothing like Wilson wanted. His radical right opponents made sure of that.
Please try to stay on topic with your comments and not just bring up your personal agenda. As Jane mentioned yesterday start your own blog if so much disturbs you. Doing it here is getting rather tiring….. again….
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Sorry. Won’t be back.
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Janette, I am sorry to see you go but since I seem to offend you with almost all of my posts and you can’t keep your comments focused on the topic or shorter than my original words then maybe leaving is better for both of us.
You certainly have a lot to say about many topics. Let me know if you start your own blog. I will give it a look see…. and maybe even a short comment now and then :)
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