Bullies Never Need to Apologize

In business one is confronted with upset clients all the time. The most disarming and effective words to use are "I'm sorry, what can I do?" Even if we don't fully believe that we are wrong, acknowledging the hurt goes a long way to resolving the problem. It is good business. It is also good manners.

So why is it that some, many, Republicans are hung up on apologies? I always felt like the U.S. acted like a global bully in the build up to the Iraq war. Never apologizing for lies and misstatements, never acknowledging differences of opinion, our course was to kick butt and see our way clear. It didn't seem to get us very far in  the world at large. America was viewed as a Cowboy Country, shooting first asking questions later, if ever. We were increasingly alone. Our supporters all felt pressure at home. President Obama was greeted warmly by the world community not because he apologized for everything or was ashamed or his country, but because he understands that America is not a nation of bullies, but a partner on the world stage, because he understands that our goals are better met in cooperation, that our security is met when we disarm anger rather than encourage it.

It is one thing to believe that you are the best, it is quite another to shove that idea down the throats of others. As a child I was taught that behavior like that was reprehensible, that apologies were the way that society smoothed out differences and that fighting was a last resort. Of course I was also told that Democrats started wars. Things change, but does that change bring any good? Republicans have been in charge for our last three major military excursions and a case can be made that Dwight D. Eisenhower got us fully involved in Viet Nam.

America, Mitt Romney would say is the tough guy on the block and if I understand right no need to apologize even when we offend. I'm sorry, I may be old fashioned, but that just isn't going to work so well.