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Departments National Issues
The isolation of Indiana, USA
by John Rouse
July 18, 2004
The communities of east central Indiana are isolated from the
realities of life in the middle east. We are rarely touched by the deaths
of American soldiers--at least personally.
We read about Iraq, Israel, and Gaza on page 8A of our USA
Today run-financed newspapers. The increasing terror of the middle east
is mostly abstract to Indiana citizens.
Midwesterners are touched by the terror of higher gasoline
prices. They know very well that Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other middle
east hot spots are sources of reasonably
priced oil. American capitalism runs on low energy prices. Who
had rather walk than ride?
As partisan politics goes, Midwest America voters are
pragmatic in their solutions to most any problem--domestic and/or foreign.
Honesty and competence are values that Americans care about.
The phrase, "an honest day's work," certainly works well in the
heartland. All of life is an effort "to chase truths." Time never stays still.
9/11 and the Iraq war speed up the consciousness of human
behavior. If not for those earth shaking events, official diplomats would
still be plodding along, negotiating this reality with that near-reality.
Once innocents die before their times, the righteous,
bereaved, and otherwise pained become incensed. Nothing is as it
used to be.
As with previous wars, the Iraq war may never be "over." In
Israel and Gaza, violence will continue to beget more mayhem, disorder,
and death. We will not trek back to where we were before 9/11. The
carnage in Manhattan, the Pentagon, Iraq, Israel, and Gaza permits no status quo ante. The United States,
Europe, and middle east have changed--and so have we.
The American Midwest is losing its once solid industrial base.
Industry brought us our higher incomes and wealth. In my neighborhood of
towns, New Castle was a Chrysler town, Kokomo the same, Muncie a
Chevrolet town, Anderson a Delco battery town, and Marion a RCA
community. These medium sized burbs are located along Interstate 69 on
the Indianapolis-Ft.Wayne corridor.
The region's population is declining as jobs go elsewhere.
American workers are pragmatic. They get up in the morning with purpose.
After coffee, they head out for work--some to jobs and others to careers.
Jobs give them more than merely livelihood.
They provide meaning to their very existence.
America is a pragmatic country. When we see a speeding train
coming, we do our best to get out of the way. 9/11 was a train that
almost no one, including President Bush2, anticipated. Once a victim,
phooey on someone else. Victim time and time again, phooey on us. What
motivated the pirates of 9/11? That scenario is not broached.
Competence and truth dominate U.S. culture. If we are victims
to the CIA, Bush2,
Congress, and the media, why? Are they not truthful about Iraq?
Are they incompetent
leaders? If Americans were deceived on reasons for the Iraq war,
who deceived them?
Americans are pragmatic. But pragmatism depends knowing what
the truth is. Or
chasing it. Truth seeking is joined with competence--in the White
House, Congress, bureaucracy, and media. President Bush2 attempts to be a
leader on 9/11 and Iraq.
But does he tell the truth? Is he competent?
The terror of increasing gasoline prices hits home to the
citizens of New Castle,
Muncie, Anderson, Kokomo, and Marion. They depend upon energy
sources to be
effective in their jobs and careers.
These Midwest burbs are frequently boring places. Folks in
these communities are likely conservative, traditional, religious, moral,
judicious, authoritarian, tolerant, hard working, well fed, and
optimistic. Their personal opportunities come through democracy. Their
achievement is realized through capitalism. They don’t tolerate
incompetence for long. They don’t like being lied to.
These Hoosiers are likely religious--and less likely
proactively Christian. "Religious"
means that Americans along the I-69 roadway are creatures of
religious habits--molded
by structures, authorities, formalities, creeds, and routines. If
these folk were more Christian, rather than religious, they would insist
that their priests, pastors, and believers
speak out on the whys and wherefores of 9/11 and the middle east.
Many citizens who live in my geographic neighborhood choose to
be ignorant regarding matters of the world. They apparently think flag
waving is the way to show
commitment and resolve. They are largely uninformed about the
middle east.
But once Americans "get burned" by errors of their leaders,
agencies, military, and media, they start "to feel the pain." Once the
pain of suffering sets in, those who were
closeted in ignorance begin to ask why. Competence and truth,
once again, creep into their daily existence.
Ignorance may turn to arrogance. But arrogance has its certain
limits. Humility then
becomes an alternative. We are not there yet, but humility is at
the end of this tunnel.
John Rouse is professor of political science at Ball State
University, Muncie, Indiana.
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Don't forget to check out articles from 2007 and 2008National Issues
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