Patriotism On This July 4th

I could write volumes about patriotism this July 4th. How many column inches in the last few weeks has been devoted to whether or not Barack Obama is patriotic enough, if a war record is on or off limits, and what the love of country truly means. Is anyone in government today truly patriotic?

I'm not I suppose. I don't like the "Star Spangled Banner" as our national anthem. It's too violent and too hard to sing for anyone except Whitney or Barbra or... get the point? I think "America The Beautiful" is a far better national anthem. So, I'm unpatriotic.

I question everything. I agree whole-heartedly with Gen. Wesley Clark about Sen. John McGoo's war record and how just because you're a POW doesn't mean you'd make a good POTUS.

And I question our patriotism this July 4th. We, the People who should have seen this gas increase coming, who let a president bankrupt a nation once great, a failed war...Yes, I could rant and rave about that here for paragraphs and paragraphs. But I already have. Sometimes you have to hear it instead of read it. So, from the archives of KGO AM 810 San Francisco fully available to all online, here's an interesting conversation on patriotism in America today.

Being A Patriot Requires Sacrifice...What Are You Doing? And is Obama Patriotic?

Comments

[SouthPrairie]

On this 4th of July, my American heart is heavy. We have been assaulted, used, manipulated and deceived"with only a portion of the evil doers being born of another country. It is painful to see those who have placed their hands upon the bible they claim to believe in, swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and then proceed to tear at the fabric our founding fathers collaboratively wove together.

The "deciders" are deceivers, and the cost that America has paid is far beyond the dollar bill. When I say "deciders" I declare that the evil doers were multiple and mono-voiced in their sins against our soldiers, against our children, the children of Iraq, and against America.

[SouthPrairie]

Continued...

You maligned us, while we were crying out for your sons and daughters to still be alive today and I am sorry that our voice was not louder and more effective. I"m sorry. There is no joy in seeing what has happened. I sincerely love each and every life lost and I"m so sorry.

But now"fool America twice, shame on me, fool America thrice"shame on you. Toughen up America, and see the tree for the fruit it has borne. Do not sell out your country. Please, this Independence Day, commit to think for yourself and love America by standing up to the manipulative media. Stand up to the shallow sound snip. PLEASE don"t let them bomb Iran and sell the soul of America.

They are war profiteers and need to be stopped. Be tough, be brave, be thoughtful, and love your country by resisting the culture of corruption.


Remember, "Sweet land of liberty, to thee I sing¦."

[SouthPrairie]

This should be the third post. Sorry.

[SouthPrairie]

Continued...

Shame, shame, shame on those pirating profiteers; on those complacently cowardous media moguls; and those enabling mouth pieces who enjoyed their privilege as they supported deceptive deeds.

America, you need to toughen up and realize that dissent, dissent, DISSENT, is the American way. And those of you that made us ashamed to place a peace sign in our windows because somehow that was not patriotic, when we knew all the time that these oil men were lying to us, and we knew the media was manipulating us, and we were against this ill begotten war of choice, you need you realize that we were true patriots"do you hear me"TRUE PATRIOTS.

We knew because we listened, we read, we could see the fruit of the deceptive tree of the axis of evil. We tried to tell you. We lost friends. We were shunned for being unpatriotic. We cried out to the Spirits when the bombs were dropping on innocents.

[RepublicanBrain]

Patriotism is a great word, but it's a word that's tough to apply to. I'm sure no one will disagree with me when I say that Bush has changed the way the country works. Good or ill, it doesn't matter, he changed it. So did Clinton. So did Bush Sr. So did every President.

What does it mean to be patriotic? To observe the Consitution? Well, the Constitution, friends, can be changed. We've repealed amendments on it. To follow the law? How many of us can say we haven't subverted any; always drive under the speed limit and such.

Take this upcoming election. What will the liberals do if McCain wins? Rail and claim a fixed election? Refuse to support his policies? Accept the ones that match their needs, and attempt to change the ones that don't? Which of those is the actual patriotic answer (rhetorical question).

Frankly, very few people know what "patriotism" and loyalty to their country is. The times change this nation, and it changes very swiftly, one presidential term can change things, as all presidents have done. The question becomes: "Do you support your country when it does things you personally don't agree with?"

[research]

You mean like the Iraq War crime? Or the torture war crime? you mean like the 35 impeachable offenses that Bush appears to have committed? How about the politicization of the DOJs.

should the Good German people have been "patriotic" Nazis or should they have done the right thing. That's what's at a stake in the USA.

Barry Goldwater, in his 1964 speech ""extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! ...moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"

Alas, turns out to be: Extremism in the defense of nationalism is fascism, Moderation in the pursuit of justice is the only way to avoid endless war crimes. And this is Conservatism ideological legacy. Complete failure. Broken as Designed=BAD.

[research]

I loved "the bombs bursting in air" "rocket red glare" and the 4th of July fireworks when they were for and about a good nation. Now that the USA is a war crime committing Rogue state, it's rather depressing.

This lefty liberal loves the constitution of the USA.

It's too bad so many conservatives prefer fascism.

[RepublicanBrain]

Actually, liberals and fascism have a lot more in common then conservatives and fascism. Fascism requires a large government based around a single unity and conservatives keep government small.

The whole "conservative = fascist" mantra is a misnomer, brought about because of one similarity (that fascism tends to be capitalistic and more private enterprise). However, it is the opposite everywhere else. The government is everywhere, propoganda is everywhere, there are programs (think Hitler Youth), philosophies are injected in all corners of life, the arch of government tends to be pretty much everywhere else.

And people that do these things tend to identify as liberals (or radicals). You get your feminists who want to kill, subjugate, or at least separate all men and promote lesbianism. You get people who want nationalized government systems like health care. These are not conservative viewpoints.

An easy way to remember things is that fascism and communism are much alike. They only differ in economic structure, not a political one. People tend to make the mistake of treating economics and politics as one when they should be separate.

[research]

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group. Or by any other controlling private power."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/apr/24/usa.comment

"we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together. "
Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini

[sociocanuck]

At least you don't have to put up with the Canadian national anthem. There's no violent imagery, to be sure. But it's sorely lacking in the multicultural spirit of our nation, like yours - right down to the reference to a "God" who's quite clearly meant only as the Christian one.

Though I guess it has a creeping militarism about it: "we stand on guard for thee" and all that.

[moxieme]

It is so unfortunate that so many of our "leaders" and elected officials, all the blue-bloods have redefined war-mongering as patriotism. I suspect most of the citizens of this great nation don't need Senators McCain or Obama detemining our patriotism. I remain unconvinced military service makes one uniquely qualified as POTUS, nor does donning a flag lapel signify patriotism. The qualifications for President are so much grander than many are attempting to make us base are choices on in the cycle. Isn't it obvious to the suits and talking heads yet that the voting public is deciding what this election is about, we're taking our country back. I am thrilled that all these young people have stepped up. I am honored to be in the trenches with them every day. We as a nation should not question the patriotism, or whatever compels them to be involved in this process for the first time in a long time.

[sino53]

Well, it's been over 230 years, and the United States is still here.

We started out as 13 tiny colonies huddled on the Eastern seaboard. From there, we built the mightiest nation on earth, the only world superpower today, 50 states strong, in the space of two centuries. By historical standards, that's a pretty short time.

We've outlasted such seemingly powerful adversaries as Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, imperial Japan. Those regimes are gone. Along with some of the ones they defeated, like the French Third Republic. But the United States and her Constitution are still here. We're still the world's economic leader too.

We survived the Civil War, two world wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War and the nuclear arms race with the Soviets. We survived them all and we're still here.

We're a nation that various radicals go out of their way to pick flaws in. The radical Left hates us because we're capitalistic. The radical Right hates us because we're multiracial and multiethnic.
But on balance, our track record has been fabulously successful.
We must be doing something right!

[Sprinkle]

There has been a price to pay for this rise though.

You neglect to mention that many of the nations founders were slave owners (i.e people who had no problem owning other human beings).

Also the majority of the land that the US appropriated , it did so at the direct expense of the indigenous population (i.e ethnic cleansing).

Like any Empire the US grew (and could only grow) at the direct expense of 'the other' whose rights (and even whose humanity) could be conveniently disregarded.

The problem with patriotism is that it has no time for uncomfortable realities. These should be conveniently ignored or dismissed.

[research]

Is this where you got that argument?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism

[Cowboylove]

True Patriots Defend the Constitution. They speak truth to power and resist the growth of fascism. Are any politicians patriots? Not many, that's for damn sure, but a few are.

[Rescisco]

The more one talks about patriotism it seems to me that the less likely they are to actually be patriotic. Patriotism is measured not by words but by deeds. Most talk a better game than they live.

[JennyJay]

Bush/Cheney are such a horribly rotten administration that it TURNS PEOPLE OFF.
For eight years now, I am sickened by the sight of these two crooks showing up in my home on TV.
So patriotism has taken a back seat in my household.
Obama has already changed that for us.
So this coming eight years is going to be THE BEST EVER!
For Obama - - - we will help, we will sacrifice - - - because Obama will take the country out of the control of the stinking king and GIVE IT BACK TO US.

[pupbayer]

I want what you're drinking!

[Jude2004]

It doesn't make you unpatriotic to dislike the national anthem, but I feel that song gets a bad rap. Last school year, one of my students challenged me to sing it, and I sang it perfectly--a cappella and in the right key first time. I don't sing it often, so I was slightly amazed that I didn't screw up, but I think it proves that it is *not* too hard to sing. After all, I'm not Barbra nor Whitney--just a high school librarian. I don't mind the violence in the anthem since it's based on our flag being visible through bombs bursting through air--a cool image. America, the Beautiful is okay, but it's too religious for me (God is mentioned in every chorus) and since I live in Colorado, I can tell you that our mountains aren't purple, so her poetic license annoys me. Tomorrow I will put up the flag that covered my dad's coffin, watch the film 1776, read the Declaration of Independence, and watch fireworks. As a seasonal federal employee, I've sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States on three occasions, and I take that oath seriously. The patriotic thing to do is be aware and do what you can to make things better.