Pubdate: Sat, 26 Aug 2006 Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL) Copyright: 2006 News-Journal Corporation Contact: http://www.news-journalonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/700 Note: gives priority to local writers Author: Theodore T. Luciano Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1126/a07.html U.S. FEAR OF DEFEAT Re "America's other perpetual war: $40 billion a year to deny defeat," column, Aug. 22: The last paragraph of Pierre Tristam's column is, in my opinion, an absolute descriptive gem of an all too prevalent American attitude, "fear of defeat." The paragraph should be required reading for anyone trying to figure out why we, as a nation, continue to follow failed policies at home and aboard. Worse yet, when you couple this bad idea with its close relative hubris, "arrogance caused by excessive pride," another common character flaw we seem to share with many other great nations of the past, it will further explain why our leaders are so out of step with most of the world on many issues. Sometimes it takes an "outsider" like Pierre, a man of profound insights, to show us the error of our ways, because rarely, if ever, do we see ourselves as we are. Theodore T. Luciano Palm Coast - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman