Nationalism is nauseating

[heavenlyboy34]

Connotative vs denotative. Not only that but the US isn't a nation, it's a federation of 50 independent republics.

Once upon a time, yes. That's mostly false now, though.

 

[Matt Collins]

Once upon a time, yes. That's mostly false now, though.

De facto vs De jure

 

[outspoken]

Idolotry is the present state of human nature. 'Thou shall not have any Gods before me'.... Even when you wrap idolotry in a pretty red, white, and blue flag and pound your chest like a neanderthal does not make you a better human being than another.

 

[GuerrillaXXI]

This gratuitous display of nationalism is beyond nauseating. Nationalism is of course defined as the worship of one's government, usually accompanied by an aggressive impulse toward other countries. Patriotism on the other hand is the love of one's people and land.

Agreed completely. Unfortunately, I'm out of rep right now.

I'll go even further and say that each year I become more disgusted with what America has become. I love the principles on which America was founded, but most of those have long been abandoned except when they're paid lip service. It's not just the government, either, but a majority of the population. Most Americans (regardless of what they claim) hate freedom, hate justice, love to swallow empty slogans and lies, and love America's foreign aggression -- as long as they aren't the ones bearing the consequences.

How many innocent people did Osama Bin Laden kill? And how many innocent people has the US government killed in just the past couple of decades? Who are the real terrorists, then? But most people in this country view American lives as much more valuable than the lives of foreigners. It's okay for the US to kill millions of foreigners, but it's never okay for foreigners to kill Americans.

This country is becoming more and more like Nazi Germany. The American public is drunk with a sense of exceptionalism.

 

[CuseRonPaul]

The obnoxious car honking and screaming that kept me up late is what is pissing me off today, but the complete lack of perspective on the whole thing is incredibly nauseating. I want RP as President, but these people don't really deserve that.

 

[goldencane]

As Matt pointed out there is an important distinction between ‘nationalism’ and ‘patriotism’. Patriotism is a healthy appreciation of one’s roots, a natural love of the country and the culture that one comes from, springing from a sense of gratitude to them. Nationalism, on the other hand, means an over-identification of oneself with one’s nation and national characteristics. This over-identification tends to produce a range of disturbing mental states, such as conceit, aggression, contempt for (or resentment even xenophobia towards) other nations.

Haha, I guess I need to read! (Can I claim in my defense that I had been up for over 40 hrs? :o)

 

[Sentient Void]

Nationalism, Socialism and Propaganda

Goebbels would be proud.

"Whether it's a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship... voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. [Just] tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger. It works the same way in any country." - Nazi Reichmarshall Hermann Goering (Nuremberg Diaries & Interviews)

 

[Mini-Me]

I posted this last night in the "Flash mob cheers in front of White House" thread. It wasn't the first time I've quoted this passage, and it wasn't the last. This thread brought it back to the forefront of my mind:

At this moment the entire group of people broke into a deep, slow, rhythmical chant of ["U-S-A! . . . U-S-A! . . . U-S-A!"] over and over again, very slowly, with a long pause between [each letter] -- a heavy, murmurous sound, somehow curiously savage, in the background of which one seemed to hear the stamp of naked feet and the throbbing of tom-toms. For perhaps as much as thirty seconds they kept it up. It was a refrain that was often heard in moments of overwhelming emotion. Partly it was a sort of hymn to the wisdom and majesty of [the federal government], but still more it was an act of self-hypnosis, a deliberate drowning of consciousness by means of rhythmic noise. Winston's entrails seemed to grow cold. In the Two Minutes Hate he could not help sharing in the general delirium, but this subhuman chanting of ["U-S-A! . . . "U-S-A!"] always filled him with horror...

 

[heavenlyboy34]

"Whether it's a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship... voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. [Just] tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger. It works the same way in any country." - Nazi Reichmarshall Hermann Goering (Nuremberg Diaries & Interviews)

qft!!!

 

[heavenlyboy34]

De facto vs De jure

some of both, since the Senate is now democratically elected and neither the legislature nor the courts check the executive very effectively. Plus, the number of representatives does not accurately reflect the population (there would need to be another few hundred house seats for fair representation). /end rant

 

[mac_hine]

 

[Freedom 4 all]

This gratuitous display of nationalism is beyond nauseating. Nationalism is of course defined as the worship of one's government, usually accompanied by an aggressive impulse toward other countries. Patriotism on the other hand is the love of one's people and land.

So true, they should have called it the nationalist act.

 

[CuseRonPaul]

The part about never having more freedom than right now first made me piss my pants, but now thinking about it I want to puke.

 

[Freedom 4 all]

That dude should become an icon of nationalist idiocy, at least around here. He's a perfect stereotype of Boobus. Especially the complete lack of awareness about China funding the whole fucking war.

 

[anaconda]

To be fair, some of this might be semi staged propaganda or a case of looking really hard to find these little frat boy-sorority girl beer fest America Fuck Ya type gatherings. I was amazed that about half (maybe more) of the yahoo comments under the Associated Press story were calling "bullshit" and expressing incredulity or great skepticism at the least.

 

[MelissaWV]

When the Towers fell (in whatever way you believe they did), there was outrage in the media about celebrations in the street.

When Bin Laden was killed, apparently surrounded by women and children and "couriers" whose fates and numbers have not been verified, there were celebrations in the street.

Who thinks this will go well?

 

[payme_rick]

Hello Lee Greenwood, haven't heard from you in a while...

 

[JohnGalt1225]

What scares me now is the move for non-partisanship. It will be just as it was after 9/11 whenever people think it is a good idea to cast off politics altogether in favor of 'following the leader.'

I always cringe at "bi-partisanship." That always means, "here comes the pain!"

 

[JohnGalt1225]

When the Towers fell (in whatever way you believe they did), there was outrage in the media about celebrations in the street.

When Bin Laden was killed, apparently surrounded by women and children and "couriers" whose fates and numbers have not been verified, there were celebrations in the street.

Who thinks this will go well?

But you don't understand, on 9/11 Americans died. So that's outrageous and no one should celebrate. But last night, only "Arabs" died so that's cause for a frat party! USA! USA! USA! Hey, no one ever said nationalism was logical.

 

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

When the Towers fell (in whatever way you believe they did), there was outrage in the media about celebrations in the street.

When Bin Laden was killed, apparently surrounded by women and children and "couriers" whose fates and numbers have not been verified, there were celebrations in the street.

Who thinks this will go well?

Oh, blowback aplenty is coming. We blew 3 of Gaddafi's grandchildren to kingdom come and now have a group of supposed 'spontaneous' crowds of cheering jackasses celebrating Bin Laden's death.