Flag Wrapping

[susandennis]

In the past few weeks - between the Columbia crash and our government's vendetta against Iraq and probably Korea - I've heard just about as much senseless patriotism as I can stand. And I mean that as in words used without any thought behind them at all. I find myself cracking wise to the TV news on a good day and really ranting out loud to it on the others. Jon Stewart seems to have the only thoughtful view of world affairs these day.

Yesterday fj posted a really thought provoking entry. For several years now I have had good friends from other countries point out that we say the United States is the free-est country in the world and we are not. I have noticed that their friendly rhetoric on this topic is getting more and more fractious recently. And I certainly understand.

I have a lot of personal freedom but there are many personal freedoms available to people in other countries that are not available to me here. And I know of no other country in the world that says they are the free-est. Or that spends as much time and energy wrapping their flag around every single thing like we do here. It's really childish and annoying and now moving into really pissing off some people with guns.

I am sad that my country is acting like a six year old school yard bully.

Comments

[lothie.livejournal.com]

I'm right there with you. We do have (for example) less censorship of the press, but we don't have ZERO censorship. And we treat our workers, white-collar as well as blue-collar, like crap. Health insurance is a joke. And so on.

No, America is NOT all it's cracked up to be.

[madeleine.livejournal.com]

I agree. However I think we do have a *lot* of censorship in our press in the way of bias reporting.

For example, not much coverage is given to the Peace Movement/Anti-War in Iraq campaign, but there is plenty of attention for the Bush administration's constant "War NOW" campaign.

It's like we're cut off from the rest of the world. All Americans hear (pretty much) is *American* news. Not world opinion (except for short "France is backing down" reports) There's a lot going on in the world that we never hear about, and I think that also is partly due to censoring.

[lothie.livejournal.com]

Right. I'm not saying we have no censorship. It's just that our censorship is more subtle because we're not SUPPOSED to have it.

[estis.livejournal.com]

flag waving and a religious fervor I find distressing. Dumbya starting to sound more and more like Pat Roberson. I think he is deranged. Am still a child of the 60's I guess.

[suifu.livejournal.com]

I'm currently reading A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present
by Howard Zinn. Not sure if I buy his premise - which is basically that the government (or establishment, or military-industrial complex, or whatever) is keeping us distracted in order to prevent class warfare and being removed from power. In any event, when you evaluate current events in light of his premise, it certainly does go a long way towards explaining some things that on the surface at least appear incongruent. Will probably post some more about this later - on a break from a resume writing workshop - but wanted to at least throw in an additional .02 to the discussion.

[1forward2back.livejournal.com]

Jim and I watch the BBC news on cable. (No American slant) And I don't feel our country is acting like a six year old bully, our President is.

[susandennis]

I'm not too wild about the BBC slant at the moment either! And approval polls show that there is a huge majority in this country who think the president is right on the money. I know he's an idiot, and I rue the election, but I am still very dismayed by those who are backing him yet today.

OK, I'm off my soap box. I'm even tired of hearing myself whine!