The great Ben Franklin once said, “As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” During the founding of the United States of America there was a great debate as to whether the people could maintain their liberty or whether they would become corrupt and ruin the whole thing. Many references to “Public Virtue” were made when discussing the topic. After the Constitution was written George Washington said that it would remain intact only “…so long as there shall remain any virtue in the body of the people.”
I have mentioned before that trying to spread freedom to different parts of the world can only be done when the people want it enough and when they have the “Public Virtue” to maintain it. Seeing many stories on the progress of Afghan and Iraqi troops I do not believe they possess the will or the virtue necessary to keep themselves free of dictators and tyrants. Have I also mentioned that each generation of Americans seems to creep closer to the “non-virtue” or rather “vice” that is apparent from the Afghan soldiers in this video?: (language warning)
I feel for any Afghan people who are doing the right things and living responsibly, because it appears they will not be able to be free because of the lack of “Public Virtue”. I also appreciate even more the Armed forces of the United States who have higher education levels than the general population of the US and have much better discipline than armies around the world. It is always like banging your head against a wall to try to get people to do what is right for themselves and their communities and countries.