Author Topic: What party does this douchebag belong to.  (Read 4260 times)

headhuntersix

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What party does this douchebag belong to.
« on: July 03, 2008, 03:03:08 PM »
(In memory of George Carlin.)

It’s July 4th again, a day of near-compulsory flag-waving and nation-worshipping. Count me out.

Spare me the puerile parades.

Don’t play that martial music, white boy.

And don’t befoul nature’s sky with your F-16s.

You see, I don’t believe in patriotism.

It’s not that I’m anti-American, but I am anti-patriotic.

Love of country isn’t natural. It’s not something you’re born with. It’s an inculcated kind of love, something that is foisted upon you in the home, in the school, on TV, at church, during the football game.

Yet most people accept it without inspection.

Why?

For when you stop to think about it, patriotism (especially in its malignant morph, nationalism) has done more to stack the corpses millions high in the last 300 years than any other factor, including the prodigious slayer, religion.

The victims of colonialism, from the Congo to the Philippines, fell at nationalism’s bayonet point.

World War I filled the graves with the most foolish nationalism. And Hitler and Mussolini and Imperial Japan brought nationalism to new nadirs. The flags next to the tombstones are but signed confessions—notes left by the killer after the fact.

The millions of victims of Stalin and Mao and Pol Pot have on their death certificates a dual diagnosis: yes communism, but also that other ism, nationalism.

The whole world almost got destroyed because of nationalism during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The bloody battles in Serbia and Bosnia and Croatia in the 1990s fed off the injured pride of competing patriotisms and all their nourished grievances.

In the last five years in Iraq, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians have died because the United States, the patriarch of patriotism, saw fit to impose itself, without just cause, on another country. But the excuse was patriotism, wrapped in Bush’s brand of messianic militarism: that we, the great Americans, have a duty to deliver “God’s gift of freedom” to every corner of the world.

And the Congress swallowed it, and much of the American public swallowed it, because they’ve been fed a steady diet of this swill.

What is patriotism but “the narcissism of petty differences”? That’s Freud’s term, describing the disorder that compels one group to feel superior to another.

Then there’s a little multiplication problem: Can every country be the greatest country in the world?

This belief system magically transforms an accident of birth into some kind of blue ribbon.

“It’s a great country,” said the old Quaker essayist Milton Mayer. “They’re all great countries.”

At times, the appeal to patriotism may be necessary, as when harnessing the group to protect against a larger threat (Hitler) or to overthrow an oppressor (as in the anti-colonial struggles in the Third World).

But it is always a dangerous toxin to play with, and it ought to be shelved with cross and bones on the label except in these most extreme circumstances.

In an article called “Patriot Games” in the current issue of Time magazine (July 7), Peter Beinart, late of The New Republic, inspects his navel for seven pages and then throws the lint all around.

“Conservatives are right,” he says. “To some degree, patriotism must mean loving your country for the same reason you love your family: simply because it is yours.”

And then he criticizes, incoherently, the conservative love-it-or-leave-it types.

The moral folly of his argument he himself exposes: “If liberals love America purely because it embodies ideals like liberty, justice, and equality, why shouldn’t they love Canada—which from a liberal perspective often goes further toward realizing those principles—even more? And what do liberals do,” he asks, “when those universal ideals collide with America’s self-interest? Giving away the federal budget to Africa would probably increase the net sum of justice and equality on the planet, after all. But it would harm Americans and thus be unpatriotic.”

This is a straw man if I ever I saw one, but if the United States gave a lot more of its budget to eradicating poverty and disease in Africa and other parts of the developing world, it might actually make us all safer.

At bottom, note how readily Beinart disposes of “liberty, justice, and equality.”

He has stripped patriotism to its vacuous essence: Love your country because it’s yours.

If we stopped that arm from reflexively saluting and concerned ourselves more with “universal ideals” than with parochial ones, we’d be a lot better off.

We wouldn’t be in Iraq, we wouldn’t have besmirched ourselves at Guantanamo, we wouldn’t be acting like some Argentinean junta that wages illegal wars and tortures people and disappears them into secret dungeons.

Love of country is a form of idolatry.

Listen, if you would, to the wisdom of Milton Mayer, writing back in 1962 a rebuke to JFK for his much-celebrated line: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Mayer would have none of it. “When Mr. Kennedy spoke those words at his inaugural, I knew that I was at odds with a society which did not immediately rebel against them,” he wrote. “They are the words of totalitarianism pure; no Jefferson could have spoken them, and no Khrushchev could have spoken them better. Could a man say what Mr. Kennedy said and also say that the difference between us and them is that they believe that man exists for the State and we believe that the State exists for man? He couldn’t, but he did. And in doing so, he read me out of society.”

When Americans retort that this is still the greatest country in the world, I have to ask why.

Are we the greatest country because we have 10,000 nuclear weapons?

No, that just makes us enormously powerful, with the capacity to destroy the Earth itself.

Are we the greatest country because we have soldiers stationed in more than 120 countries?

No, that just makes us an empire, like the empires of old, only more so.

Are we the greatest country because we are one-twentieth of the world’s population but we consume one-quarter of its resources?

No, that just must makes us a greedy and wasteful nation.

Are we the greatest country because the top 1 percent of Americans hoards 34 percent of the nation’s wealth, more than everyone in the bottom 90 percent combined?

No, that just makes us a vastly unequal nation.

Are we the greatest country because corporations are treated as real, live human beings with rights?

No, that just enshrines a plutocracy in this country.

Are we the greatest country because we take the best care of our people’s basic needs?

No, actually we don’t. We’re far down the list on health care and infant mortality and parental leave and sick leave and quality of life.

So what exactly are we talking about here?

To the extent that we’re a great (not the greatest, mind you: that’s a fool’s game) country, we’re less of a great country today.

Because those things that truly made us great—the system of checks and balances, the enshrinement of our individual rights and liberties—have all been systematically assaulted by Bush and Cheney.

From the Patriot Act to the Military Commissions Act to the new FISA Act, and all the signing statements in between, we are less great today.

From Abu Ghraib and Bagram Air Force Base and Guantanamo, we are less great today.

From National Security Presidential Directive 51 (giving the Executive responsibility for ensuring constitutional government in an emergency) to National Security Presidential Directive 59 (expanding the collection of our biometric data), we are less great today.

From the Joint Terrorism Task Forces to InfraGard and the Terrorist Liaison Officers, we are less great today.

Admit it. We don’t have a lot to brag about today.

It is time, it is long past time, to get over the American superiority complex.

It is time, it is long past time, to put patriotism back on the shelf—out of the reach of children and madmen.

L

Eyeball Chambers

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2008, 03:14:15 PM »
Because those things that truly made us great—the system of checks and balances, the enshrinement of our individual rights and liberties—have all been systematically assaulted by Bush and Cheney.

From the Patriot Act to the Military Commissions Act to the new FISA Act, and all the signing statements in between, we are less great today.

From Abu Ghraib and Bagram Air Force Base and Guantanamo, we are less great today.

From National Security Presidential Directive 51 (giving the Executive responsibility for ensuring constitutional government in an emergency) to National Security Presidential Directive 59 (expanding the collection of our biometric data), we are less great today.

From the Joint Terrorism Task Forces to InfraGard and the Terrorist Liaison Officers, we are less great today.

Admit it. We don’t have a lot to brag about today.

At least that part was dead on...
S

headhuntersix

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2008, 03:17:46 PM »
Its the birthday of the greatest county on this planet....name one better, ever. Name one that hasn't got problems, or one that does more for people then then the US.
L

Eyeball Chambers

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2008, 03:19:18 PM »
Its the birthday of the greatest county on this planet....name one better, ever. Name one that hasn't got problems, or one that does more for people then then the US.

It's still the best in many ways.  I bet every American who posts here would agree.

Thats why I hate seeing our elected officials trying to destroy it like they have in the last 8 years. 

S

headhuntersix

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2008, 03:20:34 PM »
Its the one day crap like the above needs to go away. I pulled that from the site...the guy was getting lit up. Some online Lib mag..not obscure either.
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Eyeball Chambers

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2008, 03:22:21 PM »
Its the one day crap like the above needs to go away. I pulled that from the site...the guy was getting lit up. Some online Lib mag..not obscure either.

In my opinions Independence Day in a time like this should be a time to think about restoring our lost freedom and defeating the "domestic" evil forces who want to destroy us.
S

headhuntersix

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2008, 03:24:07 PM »
Yeah like who...its the 4th. Put that shit aside....
L

Eyeball Chambers

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2008, 03:25:51 PM »
Yeah like who...its the 4th. Put that shit aside....

If we put it aside long enough we won't have anything to celebrate at all.

S

Dos Equis

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2008, 03:27:58 PM »
Its the birthday of the greatest county on this planet....name one better, ever. Name one that hasn't got problems, or one that does more for people then then the US.

I agree.  God bless America.   :)

CQ

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2008, 03:28:55 PM »
Its the birthday of the greatest county on this planet....name one better, ever. Name one that hasn't got problems, or one that does more for people then then the US.

It's your opinion, which is it a hard thing to quantify. I am 100% sure Halle Berry is the most beautiful woman in the world, another hard thing to quanitify. I think my stepduaghter is the best kid in the world hehe, I understand other mothers thinks their's is best - when of course mine is superior ;)

I adore my baby island, not just for the zero taxes and free health/college - but for many things. US is great, as are many places - Australia, NZ, Switzerland, Norway, Cayman etc. It all comes down to loving your own and your opinion.

Straw Man

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2008, 03:38:40 PM »
I for one will be celebrating my independence from the Tyranny of King George III


Straw Man

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2008, 03:40:49 PM »
Let's celebrate the First Amendment too

headhuntersix

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2008, 03:55:31 PM »
Sure....hey CQ sorry I'm glad u love ur Island....it could not have liberated Europe.
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CQ

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2008, 04:29:09 PM »
Sure....hey CQ sorry I'm glad u love ur Island....it could not have liberated Europe.

Very true and valid point, but its a historical fact we served....2 of my great uncles actuially died there and my grandfather served. We attach to European forces, so don't even go there we me personally considering my family died there :-*

Like I said, it's all opinion. I enjoy tax free living with low crime thanks. Hard to argue that  it is inherently better to get shot after paying $100,000 in taxes ;)

[Edit: That sounded a bit rude, I did not mean that, Happy July 4th to everyone, but it does get tiring having all this ranting all the time without ppl respecting the fact that having a great country and loving it is not restricted to americans]

headhuntersix

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2008, 04:39:02 PM »
What damm Island are u from.....I'm sure if u guys were a commonwealth county u did ur part even if it was 100 guys. Sure everybody can be proud of their country but this guy is an American...anyway happy 4th.
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Fury

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #15 on: July 03, 2008, 04:40:56 PM »
Long live the USA!!!!!! Hail to the King, baby!!!!

One of the few places left on earth where anyone can make it, unlike much of the rest of the world.

headhuntersix

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #16 on: July 03, 2008, 04:43:41 PM »
Happy 4th BF..maybe if my Sox can sweep the Yanks, It will make up for the rays series...don't drink to much.
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Fury

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #17 on: July 03, 2008, 04:45:08 PM »
Happy 4th BF..maybe if my Sox can sweep the Yanks, It will make up for the rays series...don't drink to much.

Likewise. Only the Sox will be getting swept.

headhuntersix

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #18 on: July 03, 2008, 04:47:05 PM »
Well they're winning now :P
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CQ

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #19 on: July 03, 2008, 04:54:04 PM »
What damm Island are u from.....I'm sure if u guys were a commonwealth county u did ur part even if it was 100 guys. Sure everybody can be proud of their country but this guy is an American...anyway happy 4th.

Agree, but since you said it was better than everywhere else you opened the door ;)

We always serve, we still conscript, my cousin was in Kosovo. A good 20 islands here do, but since we attach to the Brits, we just get counted in the Brit figures.

And yes, Happy 4th :-*

headhuntersix

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #20 on: July 03, 2008, 05:14:42 PM »
Yeah..u Commonwealth troops are always good for a rugby game or too. We had the Gurka's with us in Afghanistan...nobody fucks with them.
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CQ

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #21 on: July 03, 2008, 05:17:39 PM »
Yeah..u Commonwealth troops are always good for a rugby game or too. We had the Gurka's with us in Afghanistan...nobody fucks with them.

Thanks, We try ;D

I see the drama in the Uk about the Gurka's.

Camp Lejenue[sp?] in NC? Our troops go there and train every year. The guys seem to enjoy it.

Bindare_Dundat

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #22 on: July 03, 2008, 05:30:35 PM »
I for one will be celebrating my independence from the Tyranny of King George III



lol


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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #23 on: July 03, 2008, 07:32:33 PM »
The USA is the best place in the world to live, IMO.

Can it be better?  Sure.  It's part of your duty as good Americans to try to improve the place.  Just as you'd kick dog shite out of your yard, you vote out criminals and you discuss abuses of public treasury.

Arnold jr

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Re: What party does this douchebag belong to.
« Reply #24 on: July 03, 2008, 08:58:51 PM »
Why were my comments removed?