Life's Been Good To Me So Far

I've been listening to one of my favorite songs, and it has me thinking (to the small degree I'm able), so I thought I'd write about it a bit.

You might know the song (especially if you're an old guy like me). It's called "Life's Been Good" by Joe Walsh. He spent quite a bit of his career with The Eagles, which is (in my opinion) one of the best rock bands of all time. Their music is just plain excellent, and Joe Walsh is one of the reasons for that. He's an incredible guitarist. I play the guitar a bit, and when I see and hear what guys like Joe Walsh can do on the guitar, I'm just in awe.

Anyway, Joe Walsh made the song "Life's Been Good" as a satire on the life of rock stars, on how it seems great, but really isn't. It looks, and perhaps is, glamorous, but it's also empty, stressful, and full of self-importance that ends up being worthless. To me, it's a hilarious song, but also has some deep meaning. Here's the words to the song, if you don't know it:

I have a mansion, forget the price.
Ain't never been there. They tell me it's nice.
I live in hotels, tear out the walls.
I have accountants pay for it all.

They say I'm crazy, but I have a good time.
(Everybody say oh, yeah.....OH,YEAH)
I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime.
Life's been good to me so far.

My Maserati does one-eighty-five.
I lost my license - now I don't drive.
I have a limo, ride in the back.
I lock the doors in case I'm attacked.

I make hit records. My fans they can't wait.
They write me letters - tell me I'm great.
So I got me an office, gold records on the wall.
Just leave a message. Maybe I'll call.

Lucky I'm sane after all I've been through.
(Everybody say I'm cool......He's cool)
I can't complain, but sometimes I still do.
Life's been good to me so far

I go to parties, sometimes until 4.
It's hard to leave when you can't find the door.
It's tough to handle this fortune and fame.
Everybody's so different. I haven't changed.

They say I'm lazy, but I have a good time.
(Everybody say oh, yeah.....OH, YEAH)
I keep on going - guess I'll never know why.
Life's been good to me so far.

If you actually read the words, it's actually kind of a sad song. The subject of the song (presumably Joe Walsh himself) has lots of fame, money, and possessions, but he doesn't really enjoy any of it. He has fans idolizing him, but he knows he doesn't really deserve it. He's lost his friends and his own self-respect, but he continues in the lifestyle, even though he doesn't really understand why he does. After all of that, he still says (perhaps satirically), "Life's been good to me so far."

As I listened to this song today, I started to think about it in the larger sense, about how it applies to so many Americans, myself included. I thought about how it applies to the United States as a whole - how the world views us.

I Have Accountants Pay For It All

For most Americans, money isn't really an issue, compared to much of the world. Please - I'm not saying that there aren't needy people in the U.S. There obviously are. But most Americans are relatively comfortable. Perhaps not rich, by our own standards, but reasonably well off, with decent food, clothing and shelter, and enough money for at least an occasional luxury.

If we're honest - if we look at what we have with a global and historical perspective - we have to admit that, relatively speaking, we are rich. Certainly, in my own case, I must be grateful. I have a well-paying job that I usually enjoy. I have a wonderful family that I love. My health is pretty good (ironically, what health problems I have are mostly due to the fact that I have too much to eat, rather than too little). I have a nice house and no shortage of "stuff." I've been able to pay for a good education, both for myself and for my son.

I can say, without sarcasm or satire, "life's been good to me so far."

I Lock the Doors in Case I'm Attacked

There is a price to pay for our wealth, though. Much of the world sees the United States as rich, decadent, soft, immoral and corrupt, and there's some truth to that characterization. That view of the U.S. has given some of our enemies, especially Islamist terrorists, the idea that if they attack us often enough and long enough, we will retreat from the world - we'll lock the doors to our limo, in case we're attacked. Because all they see of the U.S. is the rock star image, they think that is the whole reality of the U.S. The lack of resolve we've shown in some past conflicts, for example, in Somalia (the "Blackhawk Down" incident) has reinforced that view of Americans.

Fortunately, there is another side to America, one that the terrorists either didn't know was there, had forgotten, or believed was no longer in our character. It's a side of America that is resolute in the face of danger, steadfast in defense of our values and freedom. We saw that side of America in World Wars I and II and in Korea. We lost sight of it to some degree in Vietnam, but we remembered it in the first Gulf War, in Afghanistan and now, I hope, in Iraq.

They Say I'm Lazy, But I Have a Good Time

It takes a lot for America to show that side of herself. We would much rather have a good time and we are, sometimes, rather lazy. America is notorious for having a short attention span. We're seeing that now, I believe. Some polls show that a majority of Americans now think the war in Iraq wasn't justified. People would like to forget about all of the problems in the Middle East. We want to go back to partying and having fun. We remember the 1990's with some justifiable nostalgia. We want to let the Iraqis worry about Iraq, bring our troops home - just lock our doors and ignore the rest of the world as much as possible.

Right?

I Can't Complain, But Sometimes I Still Do

Reality, though, is that now is not the time to shirk our responsibilities.

Defeating terrorism entirely is going to take a long time. It will be difficult. American lives will be lost, and it will cost us financially.

What alternative is there?

We might delay the issue for a while, but that will just leave the problem for our children and grandchildren. The terrorists have made their intentions clear - their goal is nothing less than a worldwide Islamic state modeled on Afghanistan under the Taliban. Those of us, whether liberal or conservative, that want freedom and opportunity for ourselves and for future generations of Americans have a duty to oppose the Islamists, no matter what it takes.

It's natural that we complain about the cost. It's natural that we're bitter and angry about the lost lives. We don't want to spend the money, and we don't want to mourn more soldiers and civilians who've lost their lives in this conflict.

Everybody's So Different. I Haven't Changed.

However, the world is changing. The Islamist terrorists are a (relatively) new threat; one that can't be deterred by our overwhelming military power. So, we must adapt. I believe that President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have recognized the new reality, and they are charting a new course forward for the Western democracies. There are far too many others (especially those on the Left), including I believe, John Kerry, that have not recognized that we are facing a new kind of threat. They think we can rely on our old strategies: deterrence, law enforcement, diplomacy, containment, and so on.

Current events argue against that view. We must continue to use those strategies, as appropriate, but we must do more.

Life's Been Good To Me So Far

If we want life to be good for us, and if we want our children to have a good life as well, we cannot become lazy or complacent, we can't retreat from the world, and we cannot rely entirely on strategies that have proven to be inadequate. The attacks of 9/11/2001 showed that we are no longer safe at home. We can no longer just lock the door in case we're attacked - we will be attacked, regardless. So, we must engage our enemies where they live, defeat them, and change the Middle East so that the Islamist ideology that gives rise to terrorism no longer has any support.

Life has been good for us, so far. But there is no guarantee that it will continue to be good for us, or for the rest of the world, unless we are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to secure it. The war in Iraq is a significant part of that. By removing a tyrannical despot and putting in place a liberal democracy, we removed a threat to the security of the Middle East and a source of terrorism throughout the world, and we've started the process of reforming the horrid governments of that region.

My hope is that our country will stay the course on the War on Terror. Re-electing President Bush this fall is key to that, in my opinion. John Kerry has said some good things regarding Iraq, but because of his record of being on every side of an issue, I don't trust or believe him. I would much rather re-elect President Bush, who I regard as a man of principle and honesty, who will endeavor to do what he says.

I like Joe Walsh's music, but I don't know or really care what his political thinking is. I do know that life has been good for me, so far. I'd like to make sure, as much as I can, that life continues to be good. So, let's stay on course in our war against the Islamist terrorists.

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