What if America stands alone?

(Google image)

In the classic Western movie High Noon, a lone lawman took on four bloodthirsty outlaws. His townspeople had already scurried back to their homes. His new bride urged him to leave for a better place with her. He stayed put, however, bracing for death rather than cowardice. Honor had him fight the gang head-on, but love had his woman come to his rescue in an unladylike manner. When the gun smoke cleared, love won. 

The moral of the story? We need to hold our ground. We need to fight dirty in order to get a clean shot at the oncoming evil. This is our High Noon moment.  

This will also be America's High Noon moment, if and when the world's sole superpower suddenly finds itself standing alone, with a world order to keep and a national honor to defend. That will define the ultimate measure of Americans.*

Yes, America may never find itself in a High Noon moment going forward. But then, never say never.


Author: renqiulan


*"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." --- Martin Luther King, Jr.

所有跟帖： 

• "We need to fight dirty in order to get a clean shot at the -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 16:26:14

• oncoming evil. This is our High Noon moment. " -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 16:26:56

• Thanks for sharing,秋蘭. Your words remind me of Mark Twain's -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 16:42:47

• quote: “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 16:43:43

• and your government when it deserves it.” -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 16:44:08

• Good old Mark, he never let people forget what he said. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:44:55

• I visited the birthplace of Mark Twain when I was in college -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:48:53

• Florida, Missouri. I happened to stop by his hometown when I -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:15:53

• needed to gas up my car. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:18:08

• A small town in the central Midwest -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:21:51

• left me with a wonderful impression. -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:24:37

• Did you drive? -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:08:11

• Yup. It was a road trip. -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:25:14

• I like it when the rubber hits the road(the moment of truth) -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:53:18

• We win friends by winning. That's a harsh reality. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:39:42

• I don't mean personal friends. I mean "allies." -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:42:45

• 聯盟，盟軍？ -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:46:19

• Be an asset, not a liability. That's how I would put it. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:53:38

• 不要做豬隊友。哢哢 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (54 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:59:26

• 豬隊友很形象，哪有不明白之理？盈盈想必也知道什麽是“插刀教”吧。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:10:34

• 兄弟有事兩肋插刀，兄弟沒事插兄弟兩刀？哈哈 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (69 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:14:27

• 可以自誇為“江湖老外”嗎？ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:20:11

• 看過笑傲江湖嗎？哈哈 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (220 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:23:36

• 不瞞你。平生隻看過兩頁“書劍恩仇錄”便放下不顧。武俠小說是俺的短板中的最短板。不敢跟盈盈俠女過招！ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:29:31

• 巧了，我唯一看過金庸小說就是書劍恩仇錄。中學時代讀的。放心，俺的武功也很弱，隻會笑熬漿糊。LOL -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:31:56

• 謙謙俠女，必懷絕技。請上紫禁之巔，與西門吹雪及獨孤一鶴同賞中秋圓月，彈劍吟詩，如何？ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:14:00

• 不錯，可以嚐試寫個短篇武俠。加油，秋蘭。哈哈 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:38:27

• 洋語？ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:11:08

• 可以呀，哈哈 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 05:44:12

• In other words, give the devil no foothold. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:38:16

• When was it America's High Noon moment? War of Independence？ -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:54:05

• Sunday, December 7, 1941. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:57:23

• As for the American Revolution, we had France on our side... -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:00:11

• True! The Statue of Liberty was brought over from France. -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:03:08

• There you go. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:16:47

• thanks to Benjamin Franklin. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:04:22

• the first U.S. ambassador to France -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:10:21

• His vital contribution to the American Revolution: -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:19:57

• the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:20:44

• The attack on Pearl Harbor！ -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:01:29

• Isolationism had put the U.S. in jeopardy, if not in -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:01:32

• grave danger. What if Japan managed to sink -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:02:30

• all American aircraft carriers? What if Germany got -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:04:45

• an atomic bomb first? -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:06:43

• Have you watched the new movie "Oppenheimer"? -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:24:38

• I did but I like the Oppenheimer in Sting's song better. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:50:02

• "High Noon" Official Trailer -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (603 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 16:30:26

• Let me whisper in your ear: I like Grace Kelly better. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 17:55:27

• Sure, I'm all ears. I like it too. This is the first time -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:05:24

• I've heard about this movie。：） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:05:53

• Don't tell my wife. Haha! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:24:16

• 好久沒聽到梅的消息，請代為問好。：）） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:26:03

• 謝謝盈盈問候！內子忙得不亦樂乎，也樂得不亦忙乎。我和內子現在已是四個小孩的父母。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:38:41

• 恭喜恭喜！要糾正一個語法， -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (640 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:49:36

• 改了，謝謝盈盈指正！ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:54:24

• 秋蘭，Congratulations to you and your wife! -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:56:46

• A girl or boy, may I ask? :) -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:57:42

• Thank you! Now my wife and I have three boys and one girl. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:12:37

• That may be the final tally if tally is the right word. Haha -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:18:24

• A perfect tally! -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:37:49

• YEAH, a girl! That's what I bet! -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:34:08

• Wow, Congratulations! Is the new baby a girl? -66的山梁- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:03:39

• Thank you, 66! A girl. My wife's prayer is answered. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:24:29

• Perfect! How wonderful! -66的山梁- ♀ (114 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:32:34

• That said, you are not Johnny-come-lately. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:23:57

• I appreciate your confidence in my experience. :) -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:33:41

• Watching High Noon,I was thinking of all those unsung heroes -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:39:49

• Hello，秋蘭，nice to see you here! -唐宋韻- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:09:01

• 唐兄美壇遇故知。：） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:32:38

• Hi, 唐宋韻! It's a small world, isn't it? -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:33:50

• Haha. 也算“他鄉遇故知”。 -唐宋韻- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:29:28

• +1 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:15:19

• Holy…. My blood is boiling. I want to join the army -永遠老李- ♂ (82 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:15:19

• Go 老李同學, go ! -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:17:45

• 永遠老李，take a number, please. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:23:15

• Wanna be a Jarhead? No offense. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:32:31

• 秋蘭才子好！上來就見到帥哥在這裏真高興！！！美壇有你在是福氣~！ -cicila- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:36:11

• 同感，同感。秋蘭來文學城的第一站就是美壇。遠早於書香。：） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:41:32

• 感謝cicila！我呢，實在是不才。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 18:58:25

• 我前幾天學寫的一首詩，送給秋蘭！ -66的山梁- ♀ (178 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:34:17

• 謝謝66，趕去欣賞！ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:36:23

• 太感謝66了！青韻七絕原玉： -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:22:29

• 66的山梁：茵茵碧草池塘夏，幾瓣紅英躍眼庭；麗質天生無粉飾，青紗難掩影娉婷。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:27:10

• 紉秋蘭依青韻奉和：居無修竹有蘭亭，仰對千山萬丈青；眉掠晉風心一快，醒來秋葉正飄零。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:30:06

• 居無修竹有蘭亭！不愧儒生雅士！什麽時候我能學到你的水平，如此對答敏捷呀！：） -66的山梁- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:57:45

• 哪裏？見笑了。我呢，胸口掛個“勇”字而已，因為胸無成竹嘛！ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:09:38

• 哈哈，想起胸口掛個勇字的古代士兵！ -66的山梁- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:23:33

• 對呀，曾經在某部古裝影片看過。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:27:56

• 寫得好看！！！等忙過這陣子，大家一起來玩詩詞唱和吧！ -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 05:47:22

• 66別忘了去看首頁。：） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 19:56:19

• 謝謝盈盈！班長辛苦了！：） -HelenRidge66- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:03:12

• +1 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:41:09

• What a High Noon moment Qiulan has brought to this night! -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:42:50

• Beautiful post, beautiful moment! 秋蘭好，thank you for sharing. -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 20:45:35

• The pleasure is mine. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:29:33

• I have these lingering thoughts that yearn for an outlet. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:33:14

• MYSJ is your outlet, a good fit for you, I guess :) -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:42:27

• Well put, thanks! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/25/2023 postreply 21:57:21

• Cuts both ways - stand alone for what's right, or wrong. -waterfowl- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 03:06:31

• First and foremost, let's see if national survival -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 15:23:48

• is on the line. Everything else has to wait. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 15:29:30

• The ultimate measure of a man: fight for honor is -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 04:30:48

• still in the soul of most Americans -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 04:32:26

• while many other older peoples may have lost such character -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 04:33:36

• not long ago, American(even westerners) still -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 04:35:25

• solve their dispute through duel. This tells a lot -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 04:37:17

• Might makes right - rather barbaric. -waterfowl- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 05:29:43

• “You can love a person dear to you with a human love, -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 15:34:45

• but an enemy can only be loved with divine love.” ― -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 15:35:43

• Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 09/26/2023 postreply 15:36:23