A Patriotic Apathy

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The Fourth of July. Independence Day. A time to celebrate. To put out the flags. This is the time every year when I crank up the turntable and put on Gottschalk, Joplin (Scott), Thomson, Gershwin, Copland, some blues and bluegrass, a few folk songs, ending always with Toscanini's incandescent performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner", with Jan Peerce and the Westminster Chorus. Then go somewhere to watch fireworks. Proud to be an American.

But not this year. I realized this afternoon, with great sadness, that my heart wasn't in this annual ritual in The Year of Our Lord 2005. No flags. No fireworks. No "Plough That Broke the Plains". Not with Al Ghairab and bodies littering the streets of Baghdad in a war we are now assured will last forever, and Guantanamo and yet more torture and secret prison ships plying the Indian Ocean, and only tyrants with oil need fear the March of Freedom. Where all children are left behind, and the aged are to be bilked and then discarded like used paper bags, and health care depends on a paid premium. Where the country is paved, polluted, and franchised from sea to shining sea, 3,000 miles of Miracle Mile. "In Greed We Trust."

A time to celebrate? No. A time to mourn.

[ July 04, 2005, 17:23: Message edited by: Cernak ]

 

Perhaps another revolution may be in order. Taking up arms against the tyrant that you've made may not be the answer, but is the pen really mightier than the sword? Perhaps if we held our officials accountable for what's happenned (and not let them shunt blame off to some poor sap underling). Perhaps a third party could arise, combining a storng Moral stance to sway the religious right away from the Republican camp, while at the same time caring for the poor and the needy with programs intelligently run and jobs created to satisfy some of the Democrats. Have a plan in place to make ammends for the damages caused to Iraq and Afghanistan, but be ready to beat the living hell out of any nation that threatens our safety. Quite clearly, the Republicans seem to have dropped the ball (at least from what I hear in AoLS), but the Democrats didn't exactly pick it up and run with it either (November 2004 ring a bell?). There needs to be a major shake-up in the political system in order for things to change. Perhaps if the American public were to seriously look at third candidates and tell the the polls that we were supporting third party candidates, then maybe the Republicans and the Democrats might **** bricks and maybe smarten up and think about the good of the country instead of their own pockets--either that or find jobs at their local McDonalds/WalMart/7-11...

 

Well, Cernak....there's loads of OTHER countries to live in, if you don't like it here and all the US has to offer. You mention all the negatives...but forget that overall our standard of living is just about the highest in the world -- income, opportunities, etc. etc.

The political scene may be a mess -- but if you think other countries don't have their problems, you're dreaming.

Sorry you can't enjoy the 4th though -- it's a great holiday....(and also we see this thread each year I think. )

 

Cernak, maybe you should go live in China or similar south east Asian country. They export so much stuff to the USA these days that they're going through an economic boom. Go there for a few years and you'll be able to come back and BUY half the USA (as the Chinese are already starting to do now)

 

Spelly, the "well why don't you go somewhere else then?" retort seems to me just a little unfair in this case...

 

Bion....why? I find his comments to be over-dramatized and a bit absurd. Even though his comments are his opinions -- he's posted so many negative things -- I say, if you don't like it, LEAVE (as soon as you're able).

This holiday has tremendous meaning to most Americans -- and frankly I don't know ANY people that live here and hate it...or mourn it. There are plenty wonderful things about the United States -- and plenty of good that it does in the world as well (we've all had this discussion before). Do I feel sympathy for him? NO. NO and NO. We have it so good in this country -- we have food, we have every ridiculous gadget known to mankind, we have relatively cheap prices for goods, we have insane opportunity here for whoever wants to put forth the effort, we have a system that works as good, if not better, than any other country in the world. Do I feel sympathy for him?? Hell NO. That whole attitude disgusts me, quite frankly.

 

How else does any kind of progress occur -- whether in ideas, technologies, or in the pursuit of justice -- except through the actions of people who are unsatisfied with the status quo? Just because the US is prosperous relative to much of the rest of the world, just because human rights and rule of law mean more in the US than in many other parts of the world, and just because many honorable people have made sacrifices to achieve this, doesn't make the US beyond criticism, or mean that there aren't huge, systematic injustices that should be addressed to make the US and the world a better place. And historically I think America owes alot to dissatisfied Americans.

 

Sounds like you need to stop watching the bs that CNN and the BBC are spewing and get out here where the rest of us live.

 

Criticize yes...to mourn or slam an important holiday such as this? NO. This holiday stands for all America is and it's NOT all bad, like he portrays. Every country has their problems....what I'm saying is that we have it pretty good here overall -- and he insults it.

He makes some GROSS misstatements here and flat out lies actually:

Cernak -- All children left behind...since when??

"the country is paved, polluted and franchised from sea to shining sea"?? -- Don't get out much, do we? I've lived all over this country -- Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Upper Midwest, Southwest, West Coast and Alaska. I can tell you what you say is FALSE. I've seen so many stunningly beautiful places all across this country that are neither paved nor polluted.....so I don't know where in the world you get this from.

In Greed We Trust -- I find this offensive to all of us. And as I said, if you think you'll find humanity to be any different anywhere else, have at it.

 

Yeah, but who makes and sells those gadgets? The Asians. What does the USA sell to the Asians? Not much. Who is prospering more from this arrangement? The Asians.

The ability of the Anglo-American world to borrow heavily to purchase the latest gadgets from the Chinese is not something any of us should be proud of.

 

I don't see how critizing your own country as being 'Unpatriotic' if you want things to improve for the better, anyone that is cowardly enough to just accept what the government tells them get what they deserve.

During my stay in several cities, I realized that the US was the land of extremes - beautiful natural countryside (and cities) with very friendly people, right through to urban industrial hell. If you live in the former part I can see why you would hate your fellow citizens critizing your country, but what if someone is from the latter part and wants change, surely they deserve better?

Harbourboy, I take it you have a slight dislike or Asians?

Unpatriotic Traitor

Anyway have a happy 4th July everyone!

[ July 04, 2005, 10:06: Message edited by: Cesard the Fir Bolg ]

 

Well, happy 4th of July, guys and gals, enjoy yourself today. After all, that is one of the things a holiday is - a chance to reaffirm (or get back to) what it really stands for. In this case, all the good things that your country stood for when this day became a holiday. Then, if you want, take a minute and think if - and how - all those things can be best implemented today.
Once again, have a happy 4th of July. Cheers!
(Can't use a beer smilie, I'm working at my internship site right now).

 

Cernak, what are you doing to fix those problems? Take your day to mourn, but spend some time planning how YOU can do some little thing ti improve the situation.

If you can't be bothered to do that, THEN I'll agree with Spelly - shut up and ship out.

Happy Fourth!

 

What a terrible dream! I thought my country had fallen into the hands of knaves. Whew! Time to celebrate!

By the way, Spellbound, I haven't done this post before. You're probably thinking of some other curmudgeon.

 

Well, I know I'm going to offend some Americans here but...

I think the Fourth of July sucks. I hate it. Not what it stands for per say, but that the celebration itself only really celebrates an unofficially sanctioned week (give or take a couple of days) where every loser around can spend all night blowing up the neighborhood.

Yay, freedom.

It has nothing to do with the meaning of the actual holiday. That meaning has been lost, perverted and otherwise forgotten.

I don't think Cernak should leave, and I think the idea is absurd and purely reactionary. We need more Americans that are not afraid to be discontent with the direction their country is going in. Its not unpatriotic to express discontent in the way things are going, in fact, that's basically what the *original* 4th of July was all about.

Yeah, its a day off from work.

He's referring to the "no child left behind act," and he's right.

Didn't the American revolution start with someone complaining?

 

That's my point exactly, ArtE

 

ArtE -- *sigh* It's supposed to be a time of CELEBRATION for our country. One flipping day...and I say, if you (collectively) feel like you've got nothing to celebrate by living here -- then shut the hell up and not ruin it for others. There's 364 days left for people to go on their whiny rants, or heavens -- maybe even try to do something about it (yea, right), as Rally suggests.

It's comments like this that disgust me. How's that beautiful new house doing? The kick-ass job that you've got...hmm?? You make snide comments at the freedoms that you have -- freedoms that allow you to live a life that some people only dream of -- people in poor countries, people living under the thumb of dictatorships, blah, blah, blah. If you think living here in the US, with all its evils, doesn't afford you the luxury of living the life that you do.....then you're not being very realistic.

[ July 04, 2005, 17:33: Message edited by: Spellbound ]

 

And its complacency like that which disgusts me. Yes, we have, "freedom." Its true.

It could be, however, better.

And its the exact attitude that everything is fine and should not be questioned or criticized that keeps anything from improving. Better not speak up! Someone might disagree!

We should never be "happy" with it, when it could be better.

 

You misunderstand me. I'm not saying don't criticize -- what I AM saying that this day is a day of celebration for most people -- let them have their fun and feel good about living here -- without having to hear slamming. It's America's birthday for pete's sake. There's plenty of days to criticize to heart's content.

See -- here's where we differ. You look at the glass half empty; I look at it half full. Doesn't mean I wouldn't like it to BE full -- but I'm thankful and happy for what I HAVE.

 

Not at all. Just trying to point out that none of us should be proud of the fact that we are borrowing heavily to buy gadgets made by Asians. We're just making them rich and eroding the wealth we've built up over the last 50 or so years.