This is hardly a new analogy but when I was growing up, in the late 70's and 80's, it always seemed that WW2 had shown that the world is split into the good and the bad. The White Hats and the Black, if one is a fan of the American Western (as I most definitely must admit to being). The Black Hats were the Fascist and then the Communist countries while the White Hats were worn by the west. USA was The Lone Ranger (with a healthy mix of Jesus) and I guess Britain was Tonto. I think mine was pretty much the last generation to have this image of the US as the rotten parts (being involved in setting up "friendly" dictatorships, for example, no matter how brutal) were starting to become more and more known.
I began to see my own country, Canada, as one of the last White Hats, perhaps even a potential Marshall. But soon enough it became obvious that our proximity to the failing hero was leading to our own corruption. It could be argued that when manufacturing drove the western empire, Ontario was where US influence really took hold in Canada. NAFTA gained its foothold this way and now that natural resources and energy have taken over, Alberta seems to be the strongest connection.
So I look around now and don't see much white anywhere, other than snow...
China looks to be setting itself up as the dominant Superpower, with Brazil, India and Russia looking to show some competition, but can any of these countries be looked to as leaders in the fields of Freedom, Integrity, Wisdom, or Respect (especially for our environment)?
Things are so crazy that before too long we'll probably need to get someone's approval for (and pay the requisite fee/bribe) just to use the analogy of White or Black Hats. Sometimes its awful easy to see why those who remain "asleep" choose to do so.
4 years ago
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4 comments:
I envy the sleepers. But one day they will wake up to a very harsh reality and maybe they won't be able to handle it...at least we know...and are handling it as well as we can.
Have Gun Will Travel is my favorite Western I think. Palladin wears a black hat but behaves like a White one.
I don't think I could pick a favorite western but I don't think any of my favorites have anything to do with White or Black "hattery". I'm keen to see the remake of True Grit.
I've only recently rediscovered the genre but I always loved the old spaghetti westerns. We have been watching a cable channel with all the old western series..Cheyenne, Gunsmoke, etc. I can't wait for True Grit! It looks amazing.
Hmm... China may be setting themselves up to be anything they want to believe but that doesn't mean it will happen. There was a time when the same thing was being said about the Russians, the Japanese, the Germans, etc. They all crashed and burned. Time will tell. Perhaps it would be good to get past white hats and lone rangers. Information is better than handouts. Give a man a fish and he is fed for a day. Teach a man to fish and he is fed until the ocean stocks are depleted. Teach a man to use the internet and he won't bother you anymore... :)
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