Aliado (Portuguese and Spanish). Alleato (Italian). l’Allie (French). die Alliierten (German). Ally (English). Bondgenoot (Afrikaans, Dutch, and Flemish). Bundsforrant (Swedish). Pronounced, “cha’ver” (Hebrew). Companach (Scottish Gaelic). Cynghreiriad (Welsh). Forbundsfelle (Norwegian). Forbundsfoelle (Danish). Pronounced, “haliif” (Arabic). Liittolainen (Finnish). Pronounced, “lunmang” (Cantonese). Pronounced, “mikata” (Japanese). Muttefik (Turkish). Pairti (Irish). Socius (Latin). Pronounced, “symmachos” (Greek). Pronounced, “tongmu” (Korean). Vinkona (Icelandic).
These languages are spoken by the allies of the United States. In the future, when our heads are bloodied yet unbowed, to whom will we turn to for help? As has been the case throughout much of our history, from the fight to ensure the Axis powers did not make their dream of ubiquitous tyranny a worldwide reality to the battle against forcibly imposed communist rule in South Korea to the 1991 Persian Gulf War, fought against a dictator determined to conquer a fellow ally, Kuwait, it is our allies who shall don armor and render us aid in our hour of need. For it is they who take heed to the words of Benjamin Franklin, “We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
These languages are spoken by people whose cultures are superficially dissimilar in some ways. This is fine, because the United States and her allies want what is fair and good and just: Freedom. Prosperity. Peace. To have their citizens not be murdered by terrorists’ bombs.
The United States and her allies get what they want. Their governments have created constitutions (written and unwritten) that give their citizens freedom of speech, association, and religion, and incorporate the important provision that one has the right to live one’s life as he or she chooses. Their capitalistic economies unleash the awesome potential of the individual, which has created an unparalleled amount of prosperity. Peggy Noonan, a contributing editor for The Wall Street Journal, put it excellently, “capitalism, like nature, wants to increase itself, wants to grow and create, and as it does it produces more: more goods, more services, more `liberation,’ more creativity, more opportunity, more possibilities, more . . . movement, action.”
This affluence gives the allies peace, as they are able to create and/or purchase technologically advanced weapons such as F-15 Eagles, F-22 Raptors – the former’s young, very intelligent, and virile cousins, Patriot and cruise missiles, Ml series Abrams combat tanks, nuclear submarines, machine guns that fire 1,000-plus rounds per minute and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which can have Aegis missile-tracking systems built into them. Their overwhelming show of force is usually able to deter aggressors; however, the allies’ track record of victories on the battlefield attests to what happens to the enemies of freedom who are possessed by the spirit of jingoism.
Furthermore, these languages are spoken by people unafraid to stop terrorists from murdering men, women, and children.
Unfortunately, they have not always been allies. For many years, as just one example, Great Britain and France sporadically fought each other. Then they laid down their weapons and embraced each other. They have been close ever since.
Twenty-five languages. One alliance that extends membership to every nation wanting what is fair and good and just.
Brandon R. Katrena is a sophomore in the College. He is the founder of the Center for the Improvement of International Relations & Cooperation.
