It has disturbed me the way the media and others have been demonizing those who oppose war as being unpatriotic and unAmerican. We are being very American when we express views counter to what those in control want to hear.
I don't see being pro-war as being patriotic. It may have been patriotic during the American Revolution, when people died to liberate themselves from an oppressive government, and I hail them as heroes. But how many wars since then have actually been fought to protect our freedoms? I mean OURS as Americans, not some other country's. Can anyone name one? Vietnam, Korea, and Iraq sure didn't. How about the Persian Gulf War? How was that protecting our freedoms?
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Happy Revisionist History Day
by Sheldon Richman
Revised and expanded from last year's "Memorial Day" post.
I've long thought that what is called Memorial Day would be better recast as Revisionist History Day. The state inculcates an unquestioning faith in its war-making by associating it with patriotism, heroism, and the defense of "our freedoms." This strategy builds in its own defense against any criticism of the government's policies. Anyone who questions the morality of a war is automatically suspected of being unpatriotic, unappreciative of the bravery that has "kept us free," and disrespectful of "our troops," in a word, un-American.
But in fact the forces aren't "serving their country" or "keeping us free." They are doing the bidding of hack politicians, well-connected economic interests, and court intellectuals who are striving to achieve personal ambition, wealth, and historical legacies.
The secular religion we call nationalism, which keeps the wool over most people's eyes, can be seen clearly in the criticism of Barack Obama for not wearing a flag lapel pin and his wife for saying she's not been proud of her country until now. What is this thing, "country," that we're expected to love and be proud of? It's never defined. But a big part of it is obviously the state and its war record. This is supposedly something to be proud of -- and if you're not, something is wrong with you.
To counter this common outlook, which people are indoctrinated in from birth, we should do what we can to teach others that the government's version of its wars is always self-serving and threatening to life, liberty, and decency.
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Free Association: Happy Revisionist History Day
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"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson
Walter Mondale: "George Bush doesn't have the manhood to apologize." George Bush: "Well, on the manhood thing, I'll put mine up against his any time."
05-31-2008, 12:11 AM
Happy Revisionist History Day
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