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The Hannity-Syndrome

By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com

   February 1, 2006

 

  

 

Sean Hannity, TV’s Fox News ultra conservative Republican commentator, was guest hosting the Rush Limbaugh radio show. A caller, most apparently not of the same political color as Hannity, wanted to discuss the darker side of US foreign policy. The poor chap never had a chance. Almost immediately Hannity struck him down asking – “In the balance has the United States been a world force for good over evil – yes or no?”  Gasping and trying desperately to skirt the question the caller hummed and hawed trying to get in his comment. Hannity was adamant, “Yes or no? Has the US been a greater force of good or not?” 

 

I imagined Hannity’s hand traveling through the radio-waves right through the phone line grabbing the caller by the throat, thrashing him from left to right and up and down, banging him against the walls, floor and ceiling – “yes or no?” – he aggressively persisted. Finally ending the poor man’s predicament by answering himself – you’re not even willing to answer the question, you’re not a good American and hung up on the by now totally thwarted and beaten man.

 

So let’s answer Hannity’s question. Yes, on balance the United States’ scale of good is far greater than its scale of bad.

 

But, Hannity comes across like a football coach whose team on winning 49 to 7 spends the following week boasting how good the team is, reviewing only the good plays while ignoring the mistakes in preparation for next week’s game. Doing this each succeeding week unable to explain why the winning scores are by less and less while the opponents’ scores are increasing. This mentality I refer to as the “Hannity-Syndrome”

 

American ideology is a work in progress not yet reaching its full potential, which we must neither forget nor impeded its journey. To the nation’s good fortune there have always been citizens who through their dissent serve as a reminder creating the needed debate among free people that has been the impetus for positive change and hallmark of the nation.

 

The nation’s finest moment was and continues to be its very birth given to us by patriots through revolution; writing our Constitution followed by the Bill of Rights amendments that continue to serve and protect us, and allowing the Hannity-Syndrome as well as other dissident voices the right of expression.

 

Opening borders to massive immigration taking in landless, economically deprived, politically abused and religiously persecuted citizens from countries throughout the world has been another high point in the nation’s history. But it must not be ignored that such act of nobility was at the expense of displacing, most times with deadly force, those who had for centuries occupied those lands. Nor should we forget that many immigrant groups were met with intolerance, and often treated brutally. It was American dissenters that brought about changes and awoke the nation’s conscience that such acts are wrong. But social and racial utopia remains a continuing struggle for many.

 

At great cost to the nation and its people, the United States was the difference during WWI and carried the brunt in WWII in both Europe and Pacific theaters. The US was the de facto savior of the free world as it stood up to Soviet Communist intent on world domination. It was a near 50 years of national heroism at its best.

 

But like the coach enamored with the glory of victory, the Hannity-Syndrome lives in past greatness; firmly believing the US can do no wrong, thus incapable of accepting mistakes in order to make corrections and adjustments. Acknowledging mistakes becomes a weakness not the dynamism of a noble and strong people.

 

The Hannity-Syndrome, a form of dissent, includes, as Hannity said, not caring what people in Canada, Europe or anywhere else think, only what Americans think – more precisely, those who are good Americans by the Hannity-Syndrome’s definition that believes it preaches love of country nationalism, when in fact its isolationism that when carried to its extreme condemns succeeding American generations into sending troops to far off lands to correct foreign policy mistakes made 10, 20, and even 50-plus years ago.

 

There is a need for voices calling for love of country, but there is also the need for voices calling for reviewing mistakes or potential mistakes in both domestic and foreign policies. Attempting to force through intimidation answers the Hannity-Syndrome wants to hear and on not extracting the wanted answer, silencing the dissenter leads to antagonism, which hampers America’s ideological progression and continued greatness.

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Patrick Osio, Jr is Editor of HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com). Contact at Posiojr@hispanicvista.com

 

(The opinions expressed by Patrick Osio, Jr. are solely his and do not necessarily reflect those of HispanicVista.com, editorial board of advisors or it’s contributing writers.)

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