"Why I Don't Celebrate July 4th"

[Ben]

I saw this yesterday, but couldn't stomach posting it on July 4th, especially after MicroBalrog's classy post. Quite a contrast between this American born dimwit's rant and MB's foreign-born perspective. The comments to the article, taking the author to task, are well worth the read.

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http://www.progressive.org/wx070310.html

Why I Don’t Celebrate July 4
By Matthew Rothschild, July 3, 2010

It’s July 4th, my least favorite holiday.

And I’m not referring to the bugs, or the crowds, or the traffic on the highways.

I’m talking about the mindless patriotic bubble bath we’re all supposed to soak in all weekend long.

Well, not me.

My heart does not beat faster at the strains of the Star Spangled Banner, much less at the sight of F-16s flying overhead to kick off the show.

You see, I don’t believe in patriotism.


You can call me unpatriotic if you’d like, but really I’m anti-patriotic.

I’ve been studying fascism lately, and there is one inescapable fact about it:

Nationalism is the egg that hatches fascism.

And patriotism is but the father of nationalism.

Patriotism is not something to play with. It’s highly toxic. When ingested, it corrodes the rational faculties.

It gulls people into believing their leaders.

It masks those who benefit most from state policy.

And it destroys the ability of people to get together, within the United States and across boundaries, to take on those with the most power: the multinational corporation.

Plus, it’s a war toy, wheeled out whenever a leader needs to improve his ratings by attacking some other country—often after invoking God’s name, too.

It’s been so since the Spanish-American War and World War I and right up through the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War.

American patriotism has also gotten in the way of solving global warming. Many in the United States, which consumes 25 percent of the world’s resources but has just 4 percent of the world’s population, believe we have the God-given right to use up all the resources we can. And there is an all-too-common attitude that we don’t need to listen to any other countries, or the U.N., or obey any international agreements because we’re Americans, and we’re better than everybody else.

We’ve got to get over patriotism, and we’ve got to cure the American superiority complex.

So celebrate the 4th if you like.

But as for me, between God, country, and apple pie, I’ll take the apple pie.

[Jamisjockey]

I don't participate in blind patriotisim, but I don't think my disdain of blind patriotisim comes from the same place as that person's 
Blind patriotisim is celebrated in ignorance of our actual circumstance.  We are no longer our Founding Father's America, and I find it harder and harder to celebrate the less free we've become.  July 4th is a bitter-sweet day.

[Monkeyleg]

But he's willing to take the benefits that patriots have given him, and my guess is that he's taken more than most.

Multi-national corporations. Global warming. American "superiority complex". Any guesses as to where this clown's sympathies lie?

You've got a fellow traveller in the White House, pal. Enjoy it for the short time it lasts.  

[roo_ster]

Some pinheads suffer anonymously, and the world never knows they are pinheads.

Others grab a megaphone and holler out for all to hear their pinheadedness.

In the case of the article in the OP, the pinhead must have done poorly in history, or gone to publick skool and aced the course.  He seems not to realize that there was patriotism long before fascism and that fascism traces its roots directly back through socialism.

Mussolini, as he was being drummed out of the Socialist party, claimed he was and always will be a socialist.  Then there is the inconvenient fact about hte National Socialists in Germany...

I saw this yesterday, but couldn't stomach posting it on July 4th, especially after MicroBalrog's classy post. Quite a contrast between this American born dimwit's rant and MB's foreign-born perspective. The comments to the article, taking the author to task, are well worth the read.

Meh, I tacked on two links highlighting America-haters on the end of my Independence Day post.  I figure we need to know our enemy.  And institute a "truth-in-labeling" policy by calling a spade a spade and the unpatriotic, unpatriotic.

[Perd Hapley]

I’m talking about the mindless patriotic bubble bath we’re all supposed to soak in all weekend long.

Well, somebody's taking a mindless bubble bath.  Makes you wonder if he's ever had an original thought. 

[Ben]

I don't participate in blind patriotisim,

Absolutely. Real Patriots shouldn't, and I think most don't. Conservatives are usually labeled the "blind patriots", but you have only to look at Bush's Patriot Act to see the large number of conservatives that balked at that. Patriotism definitely shouldn't be "America F*** Yeah!" You can certainly be patriotic and protest, but there is a difference between protesting to highlight injustices or loss of freedom and just plain hating America, which this author does (and now you'll probably have to move this thread to politics    ).

In the case of the article in the OP, the pinhead must have done poorly in history, or gone to publick skool and aced the course.

As a commenter at the website pointed out, the author said he'd been "lately studying fascism". The commenter wondered if it was Sophomore year. Likely the author has a complete Che wardrobe.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

he's not a kid   but he does hail from madison wisc

[HankB]

Notice that the original post comes from something called "progressive.org" . . . and that "progressive" is newspeak for "liberal" or "leftist."

American patriotism has also gotten in the way of solving global warming.

Good. "Solutions" to an imaginary problem serve ONLY to transfer the wealth of the many into the pockets of the few - which is the entire point.

And there is an all-too-common attitude that we don’t need to listen to any other countries, or the U.N., or obey any international agreements because we’re Americans, and we’re better than everybody else.

Damn straight! We've fought - and won! - wars so we DON'T have to take our marching orders from foreigners. And we ARE better - the rest of the world knows it, too. For proof, just look at the numbers trying to come here, vs. the numbers leaving. People vote with their feet, and the vote is OVERWHELMING in America's favor.

Patriotism is not something to play with. It’s highly toxic. When ingested, it corrodes the rational faculties. It gulls people into believing their leaders.

Blind acceptance of a leader is NOT patriotism - quite the contrary, it is UNPATRIOTIC to blindly support a leader when he's wrong . . . as many "progressives" are doing right now.

Consider:

"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."

Theordore Roosevelt - May 7, 1918

[Thor]

I don't celebrate "the 4th of July", either. I celebrate Independence Day or America's Birthday. IMO, calling our Nation's birthday, "the 4th of July" diminishes the importance of the day. I'd be more than happy to assist Mr. Rothschild in relocating to someplace better.......

[Perd Hapley]

[Waste of time.]

I believe the words you were searching for were "That's silly."

[taurusowner]

If the writer and those who side with him were really as adamant about not believing their leaders and not being cronies of the state as they claim, I might respect their point a tiny bit.  But I would wager that this writer and people who progressive.org are in fact VERY much in favor of things like state controlled school, state controlled health care, state controlled production, and state rules governing how one lives their life.  In short, this author rails on and on about how dangerous following your state leaders can be...but I bet he voted for Barrack Hussein Obama with a smile on his face and is ecstatic at every new "progressive" state controlled program to come out of the whitehouse.

If this author was at least consistent with his disdain for state authority, I would grudgingly grant him some thought.  But he's not.  One only has to look at other articles such as "Not Extending Unemployment Benefits Is Cruel and Counterproductive", to realize that at Progressive.org, they LOVE state authority...as long as it's Leftist authority.

[MechAg94]

.........they LOVE state authority...as long as it's Leftist authority.

That does seem to be a consistent theme on the left these days.  I also notice that they seem to accuse everyone else of possessing their own worst vices.

[sanglant]

guilt for being successful? or just drumming up more short profits?

[AZRedhawk44]

I don't celebrate "the 4th of July", either. I celebrate Independence Day or America's Birthday. IMO, calling our Nation's birthday, "the 4th of July" diminishes the importance of the day. I'd be more than happy to assist Mr. Rothschild in relocating to someplace better.......

Ditto.

I refer to the date as "Independence Day" as it is intended to be.

[MechAg94]

One of the radio shows I listened to last week went on the street in Seattle asking people who we got Independence from and other questions.  The rate of correct answers was not all that high.  Of course, they admitted that it was the middle of the afternoon and there weren't too many "businessman" types on the street. 

[BReilley]

I don't celebrate "the 4th of July", either. I celebrate Independence Day or America's Birthday. IMO, calling our Nation's birthday, "the 4th of July" diminishes the importance of the day. I'd be more than happy to assist Mr. Rothschild in relocating to someplace better.......

Indeed.  Some people look at me funny when I take the time to wish them a good Independence Day, instead of "happy fourth".  Seriously, do you ever wish someone a Merry 25th of December?

[Iain]

He seems not to realize that there was patriotism long before fascism and that fascism traces its roots directly back through socialism.

Mussolini, as he was being drummed out of the Socialist party, claimed he was and always will be a socialist.  Then there is the inconvenient fact about hte National Socialists in Germany...

So very, very tired. A spade can call itself a pick axe you know. They both claimed those labels, while fulminating against international Marxist Jewry. And there was nothing even remotely socialist about Franco's brand of fascism, extremely nationalist though.

It's lazy, and I consider it to be just as lazy to argue that fascism is solely a product of the right. It's a product of opportunism, authoritarianism, fear-mongering, nationalism, militarism etc.

[Scout26]

Indeed.  Some people look at me funny when I take the time to wish them a good Independence Day, instead of "happy fourth".  Seriously, do you ever wish someone a Merry 25th of December?

Someone saying "Happy Memorial Day" earns them a lecture on "Why Memorial Day is not a festive event."  

[roo_ster]

So very, very tired. A spade can call itself a pick axe you know. They both claimed those labels, while fulminating against international Marxist Jewry. And there was nothing even remotely socialist about Franco's brand of fascism, extremely nationalist though.

It's lazy, and I consider it to be just as lazy to argue that fascism is solely a product of the right. It's a product of opportunism, authoritarianism, fear-mongering, nationalism, militarism etc.

May be tiring to you, but the lineage is pretty direct back from Mussolini's fascists and Germany's National Socialists, through the progressives to Marx.

Just because Stalin declares anything that is not his brand of marxism to be fascism does not change reality and history.  Well, maybe it does for Stalinists.

Franco is fascist only if one defines fascist as "anyone who is anti-communist."  It is an especially weak accusation against Franco, given his aims and how he ruled was not in accord with fascist ideology. 

Given the sloppy (but pervasive) progressive intellectual methodology & propaganda, I can see how some folks who have swallowed the progressive line would think that any display of patriotism or nationalism could be incipient fascism.  Their ignorance, however, must not be confused with the reality of American patriotism or granted validity.

[MicroBalrog]

And patriotism is but the father of nationalism.

And? Does this person know what 'nationalism' is?

[MechAg94]

So very, very tired. A spade can call itself a pick axe you know. They both claimed those labels, while fulminating against international Marxist Jewry. And there was nothing even remotely socialist about Franco's brand of fascism, extremely nationalist though.

It's lazy, and I consider it to be just as lazy to argue that fascism is solely a product of the right. It's a product of opportunism, authoritarianism, fear-mongering, nationalism, militarism etc.

Just different paths to centralized control of everything and totalitarian govt.  One tries to use the "worker's" as the focus, the other uses a form of nationalism. 

[Mabs2]

I think this person is confused.
Patriotism is love of country, not government.
I love my country, but hate my government.
First job of a Patriot is to question and suspect his government.