Insights from Outside

I came across a quotation yesterday by Alexis de Tocqueville, a name I didn't recognize but an observation I appreciated. I searched for more of Alexis' quotations and found them very interesting:

As one digs deeper into the national character of the Americans, one sees that they have sought the value of everything in this world only in the answer to this single question: how much money will it bring in?

I know of no country in which there is so little independence of mind and real freedom of discussion as in America.

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.

The surface of American society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old aristocratic colours breaking through.

The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.

Most amazing to me is that these observations seem so topical, yet were written circa 1840. Apparently, the concerns some of us have with the nation today have been a concern for quite some time.

Some people seem to think that any criticism of this nation equates to a lack of patriotism, even actual "hate" for America. This attitude puzzles me: When our friends behave badly and we ask them to change their ways, that doesn't mean we hate our friends, it means we care enough to expect better of them; when we reprimand our children for making bad decisions, that is not a display of loathing, it's a demonstration of our belief that they can do better. I don't disagree with the adage, "my country, right or wrong", but I also expect my country to try to get it right, not stumble blindly and expect its citizens to forgive every illogical and ill-conceived ambition. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice and don't be surprised if our trust is diminished.

I'm sure some will dismiss any wisdom in these quotations as being an outsider's irrelevant commentary---and from a Frenchman, no less. But I maintain that we have to stop congratulating ourselves for being great, and start concentrating on being GOOD. Because, quoting Alexis de Tocqueville again:

America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.