What Happened to the Stiff Upper Lip?
These things happened on the same day:
Tennis great Billie Jean King said in an interview that American tennis is in a crisis because American youngsters have become rather soft.
She noted Russians “play tennis wearing layers of clothes in the snow, But “fourth-, fifth-, sixth-generation Americans...are all a little soft.”
Golf great Gary Player said in an interview, noting that American players are being dominated by international players, said the latter “aren’t spoiled. They don’t have luxury locker rooms and courtesy cars meeting them at the airport and traveling gymnasiums. They have to learn to play in different conditions and grind it out. They’re hungry.”
And finally, 15 British marines and sailors returned from being held captive in Iran for nearly two weeks during which time some confessed, apologized, and seemed to go out of their way to praise their captors.
From what we know, the Britons were subjected to being blindfolded, separated, and suffered psychological torture. None of us knows how he would react in similar circumstances, but what happened to the stiff upper lip?
NBC-TV’s Andrea Mitchell contrasted this with the experience of Sen. John McCain. He spent five and half years as a North Korean prisoner (1967-73) in the notorious “Hanoi Hilton,” even refusing an offer of repatriation.
What are we to make of all this?
posted by Joe Zelnik @ 8:54 AM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
I find it difficult to make the connection in my mind between spoiled and pampered American athletes and the British sailors' behavior while held captive in Iran. There has not been one single Westerner held captive by the enemy in the Middle East -- whether he or she be military personnel, journalist, "private contractor," neutral do-gooder -- who was later released WITHOUT first being filmed lauding the enemy and denouncing the coalition forces on Islamic soil. The ones we never saw doing this ... were either killed or never seen again. Sometimes the captives cooperated with the filming and still were killed. While we may cringe at the treacherous and simpering behavior on film, we cannot judge their actions. As you said, Joe, what would we do when in the very presence of these barbaric butchers, wielding their swords? Additionally, their threats extend to the captives' homeland and families, which they have proved are not idle threats. Again, what would we do? More relevantly, what SHOULD we do? What should be our course of action in Iraq at this point? Does anybody know? Does anybody have a plan? (Besides ousting Bush and the entire White House administration, of course.)
Since the holocaust, we are in an age of survival rather than do-or-die stoicism. Kids stay cool in games today, save energy, get good builds. Went to grandkid's soccer tournament and saw the difference. Everyone had great zeal and fresh air, much running. It was all-day and we were hungry, but it was a one-hr wait for steakhouse, 2 hrs for sea food. If Stone Harbor gets its rec hall and play field, the crowd will need more eateries for all the kids and grandmoms!
Fun and games when you are hungry and/or deprived and poor, leaves a mark. Look how Billie Jean smashed Bobbie Rigg. Rampant feminism!
Soccer grand-mom
Can we admit one truth--Bobby Riggs was old enough to be Bille Jean's father. He was champion 30 years before her. It was all a set up for entertaining TV. If this was truly a "Battle of the sexes," then Bill Jean would have played Stan Smith or Rod Laver, who were her in age bracket at the time. But that was never suggested.
And why do so many misdirected souls blame Bush for (even indirect) Islamic atrocities? That's like blaming FDR for the lives lost at Iwo and Normandy. They obviously consider the president more of an enemy than the Islamic terrorits.
As for the behavior of prisoners of war, the military Code of Conduct that was in effect when McCain was captured has been modified over the years. Where the code strictly forbade cooperation during the 50s and 60s, present day captives can play the game with their captors, making them appear as the puerile fools they are, for who else would elicit a filmed confession from a helpless man and then present it as serious documentary evidence?
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