America -- the slumbering elephant?

By Aussiegirl

Our good friend, Tim Birdnow, writes an excellent column over on Birdblog. Also be sure to click on the link to Always on Watch, another great blog to follow regularly. Tim makes a great point -- is America a slumbering elephant? Or are we the slumbering tiger awakened to righteous anger and action by the December 7th Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On this anniversary of that day of infamy, let us hope that America is still that tiger and that 9/11 was sufficient to prod us awake.

Birdblog

America is a slumbering giant. Like an elephant lazing about in a mudpit, America has grown fat and happy thanks to unprecedented prosperity and easy living, and doesn`t want to lumber out in defence of its territory. Life is good and many want that ease to continue; unfortunately, the hunter is in the brush.

In South-east Asia Elephants are used as beasts of burden, and there is a thriving market for strong bull elephants. Elephant hunters capture them, then the elephant is tamed. This taming is accomplished by caging the beast, then poking it incessantly with sticks; the creature is not whipped or seriously hurt. The elephant tamer irritates the beast until it submits to his will.