Arash Kamiar: American New Speak
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Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2016-may-arash-kamiar-american-new-speak
Oscar Wilde is purported to have said, "Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious". I don't know if he actually said this or not, as there appear to be attribution issues.
Samuel Johnson is known for having stated, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel".
I agree with both sentiments. Especially when patriotism takes on a distinctly militaristic tone, as it does in the USA. Patriotism seems to be more about "supporting the troops" and jingoistic songs like "God Bless the USA" and not so much about celebrating our civic virtues.
Quote from: Adam White on May 15, 2016, 03:55:48 AM
Patriotism seems to be more about "supporting the troops" and jingoistic songs like "God Bless the USA" and not so much about celebrating our civic virtues.
The thing is, what does "support our troops" even mean ? It can mean nothing and everything.
Patriotism implies a solid block ... a unity existing within a country behind which 70% or more of the citizens assemble. As a society such as ours becomes fragmented, there is no 70% of anything, but only several segments of 20% or 30%, each vying in desperation to survive according to their own visions of reality.
Formerly, large scale wars, or eras within which an important facet of life, common to most citizens, would provide a temporary unity, and therefore a temporary emotion of patriotism. Because of the existence of nuclear weapons, major wars lasting long enough to assemble patriots, are a thing of the past. There will be only time enough to gather fear, chaos, and suffering.
Today, only the few deluded and clueless to reality, or those who, with the usual lies and bullshit, seek political ascendency, shout "patriotism" ... not realizing how meaningless ... how ridiculous ... the term has become as our nation shamefully declines further to mediocrity and eventual ruin as a consequence of no real leadership.
Strong and effective leadership ... leadership positively affecting the quality of life for the mass of citizens ... would have prevented our current predicament. The powerful and the wealthy ... and that includes most of our politicians and corporate moguls ... and the hidden, actual powers ... have maneuvered all political decisions, pressures, and economic options, to enhance what they already have ... at the expense of true economic stability, at the expense of the environment, and at the expense of the very essence and stability of our government. And certainly ... they have destroyed the ability or inclination of any concerned and sane individual to perceive a reason to shout "patriotism".
As time passes, as the absurdity of societal drift becomes too clear, even to the most deficient in mind ... there will emerge a power, a unity ... and therefore a reason to shout the word, but it will come from an increasing population of those who've gained a voice via their suffering ... the common folk, the worker, the middle class, the lower class, the suffering minorities ... all who will finally realize who the enemy is ... who the enemy has been.
This awareness will encourage a confrontation much like a kind of war, and because it will be a large war with great masses on one side and the powerful few ... the oppressors on the other ... a war having a clear enemy that must be destroyed ... it will allow for the return of a legitimate use of the term "patriotism".
Quote from: Gunnar on May 15, 2016, 08:15:38 AM
Quote from: Adam White on May 15, 2016, 03:55:48 AM
Patriotism seems to be more about "supporting the troops" and jingoistic songs like "God Bless the USA" and not so much about celebrating our civic virtues.
The thing is, what does "support our troops" even mean ? It can mean nothing and everything.
That's true. One thing it tends to mean is, "don't ever question or criticize American foreign policy".
I remember being called a traitor or whatever because I dared to suggest it was a mistake to invade Iraq. Actually, at that point I suggested it was wrong to bomb Iraq - we hadn't even invaded yet.
Quote from: stephendare on May 15, 2016, 09:41:39 AM
Quote from: Adam White on May 15, 2016, 09:36:27 AM
Quote from: Gunnar on May 15, 2016, 08:15:38 AM
Quote from: Adam White on May 15, 2016, 03:55:48 AM
Patriotism seems to be more about "supporting the troops" and jingoistic songs like "God Bless the USA" and not so much about celebrating our civic virtues.
The thing is, what does "support our troops" even mean ? It can mean nothing and everything.
That's true. One thing it tends to mean is, "don't ever question or criticize American foreign policy".
I remember being called a traitor or whatever because I dared to suggest it was a mistake to invade Iraq. Actually, at that point I suggested it was wrong to bomb Iraq - we hadn't even invaded yet.
I remember the same kind of polarization when I spoke against invasion as well. Of course, no one ever would have called me a traitor to my face, but a number of the forum board posters were suggesting i loved terrorists back in 2005.
The irony, of course, is now these people generally agree Iraq was a bad idea. But they prefer to focus on Obama's role in the war (or in the continuation of Bush's course in the Middle East) and gloss over Bush & Co's ultimate responsibility for all of this.
I guess they're terrorist lovers, too.
What bothers me the most about the flag-waving, cliche-spouting type of patriotism illustrated by those Trump cheerleaders, etc is that it focuses on American Exceptionalism. It's ugly.
There are a lot of great things about the USA, but it seems we spend too much time making a big deal about how we're better than everyone else.
Bumper stickers make editorials meaningless...
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