The Republicans have had their share of problems this week: their convention opening was delayed by Hurricane Gustav, Congressmen were avoiding St. Paul like it has anthrax, their leaders have been embroiled in a defense of Sen. John McCain's controversial VEEP pick, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. But one thing is apparent already: They are the Party of Big Flags. The backdrop to the stage is a humongous video screen with a billowing American flag in motion.
The flag is the sacred cudgel they use to beat Democrats into submission for daring to question anything done in the name of Betsy Ross's creation. Prior to the convention, they managed to miniaturize that giant flag to lapel pin size to sell the "elitist- arugula-eating-rather lose a war to win an election" unpatriotic opponent line. The Flag is the magic! Even a Satellite speech from the unpopular President Bush can't blunt that. Florid speeches from former Sen. Fred Thompson and a renegade Democrat, Sen. Joe Lieberman, may have even rekindled the Big Flag party's luster for one night.
The caption "Don't Tread On Me", from a time when the flag was raised in battle to protect the interests of Democracy has become "Don't Dare Question Me." Now it is hidden from the public when flag draped coffins of our fallen soldiers return home to their families; but let them want to elect a President, get funding for an adventure to capture oil or a venture onto foreign soil, you will see Eagles and Flags and Rockets Red glare until you have no option but to feel patriotic, or at least feign to be. It is a hypnotic cloth, imbued with the sum total of our Americanism. A guy in South Central who is willing to die for a color, red or blue, to kill for it, is a gang-banger. Move that kid 100 miles south of LA, teach him to kill or die for that same red, and blue on a field of white and he becomes part of the few, the proud, the Marines.
Democrats supported Bush in funding the war for fear of being seen as against our troops. We citizens failed to register our displeasure with the continued deployment of troops in a war we now know is based on lies. You might say the support for Obama's candidacy is a measure of that, and Bush's dismal approval level further exhibits our true feelings. Yet, McCain is doing quite well in the American polls, equal in stature to Obama. As Obama said, let's not make this big election about small things. That is exactly what flags do.
No one in their right mind will say anything in public about our brave young soldiers. No matter how we might actually feel or what we think, we must remain solidly supporting our deployed troops. Viet Nam taught us that the fault of failure in a war is that of the leadership, not the troops, and that the popularity of a war or even its reasonable justification should be the leadership's burden, not that of the soldier.
This week, as Republicans speak of unity, loyalty, strength, and prosperity, close your eyes, listen to their words, think of the person saying them, their political record. Don't be distracted by all the flags - think of what is behind them. Think of our overextended military, of your personal, financial, social well-being, your community, the infrastructure. If you can choose McCain as your candidate after doing this, then God bless You, and God Bless the United States of America. We're all going to need it!
Republicans use flags to create a sense of patriotism. I would rather have them serve our country better.