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https://freedium.cfd/https://medium.com/bouncin-and-behavin-blogs/this-is-not-your-fathers-patriotism-17d8d24863b0>
"As a kid, I was taught that it was important to be patriotic. No one ever
explained to me what that really meant, but from casual observation, I assumed
it meant that I should stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and be proud of my
country. It seemed simple enough.
At school, I faithfully stood for the Pledge of Allegiance, partly out of a
sense of patriotism and partly out of a sense of self-preservation and avoiding
Sister Mary Discipline's stick that she swatted us with. When I was old enough
I joined Cub Scouts and later, the Boy Scouts. I even earned the rank of Eagle
Scout, the highest award. When I was 18, I joined the Army.
I was never particularly gung-ho. My approach to patriotism was always more of
a go-along-to-get-along kind of thing. Watching the reporting of the Vietnam
War on television along with the Civil Rights Movement, and later Nixon's
resignation in the face of the crimes he committed gave me a healthy dose of
skepticism that grew as time went on.
There was something clearly amiss, but I was too young to fully understand just
what it was or its depths. Seeing through the smoke and mirrors was a ways off
yet.
It wasn't until I was in college that I came to understand the full depth of
the rot in America that runs just beneath the surface. It was there that I
learned how capitalism manipulates the population and bends its will toward an
endless stream of consumption at any cost. It was there that I learned how the
capitalists exploit the population for monetary gain. It was there that I
finally realized the United States was built on stolen land with slave labor.
The curtain of naive ignorance had been pulled back. I would never be able to
un-see what I saw. The United States would never look the same to me."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
