« on: November 21, 2023, 12:04:28 pm »
https://hotair.com/dennis-prager/2023/11/21/america-first-or-america-only-n593897I am a strong advocate of America First. Indeed, I believe the citizens of every country should put their country first.
The case for doing so is not difficult to make. Just as people should put their family’s well-being first, they should put their country’s well-being first. Just as we would regard parents who put the well-being of others’ families before — or even on par with — the well-being of their own family as defective parents, we should regard people who place other countries’ well-being before that of their own country as defective citizens.
Similarly, with rare exceptions (such as in a time of war or when saving another person’s life in an extreme situation), people should first take care of themselves.
In this regard, I am guided by two Jewish teachings.
One is the basic and well-known principle, stated 2,000 years ago by Hillel, one of the most important thinkers in Jewish history: “If I am not for me, who will be for me?” To paraphrase Hillel: “If Americans are not for America, who will be?”
The other Jewish teaching is the Talmudic principle that when deciding to which poor people one should first give charity, “The poor of your own city come first.”
The idea of America First accords with both reason and religious morality.
However, some prominent conservatives, whom I know and respect, seem to equate “America First” with “America Only.”
And that is neither logical, nor moral, nor American.
It is not logical because the word “first” implies a “second” and more. In baseball, “first base” implies a “second base,” etc. If first base were the only base, it would not be known as “first base.” If you said that your first choice among airlines was, let us say, Delta Air Lines, no one would assume that Delta was your only choice. By definition, therefore, “America First” does not mean “America Only.” So, those who believe that Americans should be concerned only with America are being disingenuous when they say, “America First.” They should say what they mean: “America Only.”
But “America Only” violates one of the most basic principles of morality — that we should not only take care of ourselves, our family and our country. Indeed, the second part of Hillel’s famous aphorism makes this clear. His rule begins, “If I am not for myself, who will be?” But that is not his entire rule. His first question is immediately followed by this one: “But if I am only for myself, what am I?”
EXCERPT
Prager's piece caught my eye this morning, and he is absolutely right!
Logged
aka "nasty degenerate SOB," "worst of the worst at Free Republic," "Garbage Troll," "Neocon Warmonger," "Filthy Piece of Trash," "damn $#%$#@!," "Silly f'er," "POS," "war pig," "neocon scumbag," "insignificant little ankle nipper," "@ss-clown," "neocuck," "termite," "Uniparty Deep stater," "Never Trump sack of dog feces," "avid Bidenista," "filthy Ukrainian," "war whore," "fricking chump," psychopathic POS, and depraved SOB.
"In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act." ---George Orwell
"If you want peace, prepare for war." ---Flavius Vegetius Renatus
