numan

China - Xinhua - Original Article (Chinese)

Instilling Patriotism the American Way

Americans love their country: They love it deeply, they love it absolutely, they love it foolishly. The flag is placed all over, the anthem is sung everywhere and the daily recitation of the pledge is unalterable.

Unlike China, America is a very antiquated and tradition-bound country. The lives of the people are dominated by strange ceremonies and irrational superstitions.

How quaint ! · · ·

For "instilled," read "the result of brainwashing."

In the first half of the 20th century, of course, it would have been Nazi Germany. · · ·
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numan

'
THE GODFATHER

Boston Tea Party Historical Society ---- John Hancock - Smuggling Powerhouse

He also pretty much bankrolled the Continental Congress [Remember his signature on the Declaration of Independence?] ---- at least during the early stages of the Terrorist Insurrection.
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numan

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When I was a senior in high school, the McCarthy hysteria was just beginning to wind down. One day I received a small package in the mail. On the wrapper there was a label which proclaimed:

THIS IS A REPUBLIC, NOT A DEMOCRACY; LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY!

Inside the package there was a book, supposedly written by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, entitled Masters of Deceit. I doubt if anyone remembers it now, but it was a turgid, gushing flow of the hysterical fear and hatred which was so typical of the time, about the Commie Devils who were about to overwhelm us. It well exemplified its title.

I felt a slight twinge of disquiet, since I had taken advantage of a recent relaxation of reciprocal trade policy to order an atlas from the Soviet Union, and also an autobiography by an early Chinese Buddhist scholar. [The atlas, by the way, was superlative; it must have been the work of German craftsmen whom the Russians had scooped up after the Second World War; I did have to learn the Cyrillic alphabet to read it, of course]

Later, I learned that the local John Birch Society (does anyone remember them?) had sent the same package to every graduating senior in my high school.

The Birchers were upholders of the noble Founding Fathers' Republic; no commie democracy for them, thank you!

I knew a couple of Birchers as a kid. They were two frail, sweet, elderly maiden sisters who owned a small book store and stationery shop in the suburb of Los Angeles where I grew up. Then they became Birchers and changed their store so that it sold nothing but John Birch Society books and similar paleoconservative paraphenalia. They soon went bankrupt and lost everything they had.

Some might say that they had been Conservative dupes and suckers, but I think that we all know that the noble Republic of the Founding Fathers can only be maintained by offering up dead meat --- I mean, sacrifices --- upon the Altar of Liberty.
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numan

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I find it amazing that people think that we are in danger of totalitarianism --- as if we don't live under it now! It just goes to show how invincible propaganda is in shaping the ideas and attitudes of people! Totalitarianism came sweeping in after the Second World War, and has been thriving ever since!

You will find fasces in many more places than on old Mercury dimes:

Fasces: [The fasces in the United States]

Very glaringly, most people have seen two enormous fasces flanking the US flag behind the dais of the Speaker of the House of Representatives whenever they have watched the President deliver his State of the Union Address!

Knowing how unperceptive the average human being is, I am sure most people have never really noticed them.

tecoyah

So....you would be willing to pay $500 for one of his hats?

numan

'
THE GODFATHER

Boston Tea Party Historical Society ---- John Hancock - Smuggling Powerhouse

He also pretty much bankrolled the Continental Congress [Remember his signature on the Declaration of Independence?] ---- at least during the early stages of the Terrorist Insurrection.
.

numan

'
]

I am so old, I can remember when the Pledge did not contain the words, "under God".

When I was in the fourth grade, one morning I got to school a bit late, and when I entered the classroom the Pledge was just beginning. I quickly hung up my coat, and finished the remainder of the Pledge with my hand over my heart. Afterwards, the teacher came over and reproved me, saying that I should have immediately joined in the Pledge before I hung up my coat.

Even at that young age, I remember thinking something like, "Why am I being subjected to this goofiness?"

Wasn't I precocious? · · ·
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David

My response was, "Do they think I commit treason everytime I go home and anarcho repledge my alligence to the Republic?" 1 day in 7th grade I actually said this out loud and got a bunch of selfreflective looks from my classmates (and a vary annoyed look from the teacher). Nobody did the pledge after that and I took to asking that question openly on the 1st day of each school to similar results.

arcturus88

its a nice tradition.

there's nothing wrong with a nice tradition that encourages loyalty.

David

What are we, NK?

numan

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Proud (or, at least, pleased) not to be a brainwashed useful idiot:

The Trumpite crypto-fascists want to make it a FELONY to argue with a police officer.

To show how much the American character has degraded since police statism has been the goal of the ruling classes, I append some lines from a popular novel of 1951.

Archie Goodwin meets a cop in a hotel corridor:

He stopped me in my path and demanded, "Who are you?"
"Governor Dewey," I told him. "How do you like me without the mustache?"
"Oh, a wag. Show me some identification."
I raised my brows. "How did I get behind the Iron Curtain without knowing it?"
"I'm in a hurry. What's your name?"
I shook my head. "Honest, officer, I don't like this. Take me to the nearest Kremlin, and I'll tell the sergeant."
"Aw, nuts." He tramped down the hall.
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numan

Yes, far superior in the number of its citizens who are caged in prison gulags.

In that respect, no other nation can compete with the Land of Debris and Home of the Crazed.
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arcturus88

I'm not NK, are you NK?

David

No but Trump's inner circle is starting to sound like NK.

David

A sense of patriotism should be the natural result of a proud history, rich culture, strong civic traditions, a functioning and uncorrupt government, etc. When you demand DAILY loyalty oaths from your kids, push the national anthem down everyone's throats at the start of school days and major events (of a non-government nature), run military recruitment ads EVERY COMMERCIAL BREAK, stick the national flag EVERYWHERE is obnoxiously large sizes, in short engineer patriotism, it forces a rational person to question if natural patriotism is a thing in the country. It forces a rational person to wonder if the country is worthy of pride or a powermonger instilling absolute loyalty to the state in its citizens.

arcturus88

when you decided not to say the pledge as a kid, did the government put you in forced labor camps?
just curious?

David

I already was, its was called public school.

numan

Whether he stays or leaves is his own business, not yours --- unless you are a damn Nazi !
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numan

As usual, you don't have your facts right.

A large proportion of people in prisons in the USA are in there for victimless "crimes" --- or for what are minor offenses in civilized countries and imprisoned much longer than necessary and treated abominably. Many should be in mental facilities and not in prison.

I used to joke:

Stalin, at the height of his terror, had 3 million people in his prison gulags; the United States has one-and-a-half prisoners incarcerated. That proves that the USA is twice as good as Stalin's Russia.

Unfortunately, since then, the US has increased its reliance on the booming Prison Industrial Complex so that one per cent of its population is in the gulag at any one time --- pretty much matching Stalin's record.

You can take your choice: either the USA is a broken, crypto-fascist society, or its population is uniquely inferior and criminal.
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David

Leave? Floridia had nothing to do with those tax evading traitors, even reconquered Georgia for the Empire. We were than conquered by that genocidal madman Trump thinks is so awesome, then tried to leave a few decades later (we and Texas can even claim to have not actually been reconquered by the Northern tyrants, only laying down arms as part of the larger Confederate surrender). I'd be more than happy to leave this corrupt empire, I'd just like to take my country with me is all.