Well...

The article we read for class today, America the Beautiful: What We're Fighting For, definitely relates to the book. Within the first few paragraphs, D'Souza argues that Americans are only successful in wars if they believe it is just, if they can relate to some type of 'cause.' The author points out that the one time Americans have really lost a war was in Vietnam, when many Americans weren't behind the war, but not just because of the lack of support: because they didn't know what they were fighting for. In the book, Joe thinks to himself that Americans who fight for these causes, or words, are moronic individuals. But he does agree with this idea that when America fights a war they fight it for a cause, for some lofty reason that isn't really accessible for the general population, but the cause is something that Americans inherently hold on to. Just like the idea in the essay where the author talks about American exceptionalism. D'Souza says that Americans just naturally believes that America is the way it should be, that other countries should follow our ways, that our country has 'higher values' than others and is willing to fight for them, dangit! But, as Joe wonders in the book, what do those values or ideas really mean for the people of America, other than just a word to throw around, like 'freedom' or how about 'democracy'? D'Souza poses questions about the validity of the general belief of Americans that this country is THE country, and everyone else should sit down and take some notes.