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LETTERS / Our Patriotism

Dear Editor,

Its past time we lose the terms: ground zero, line in the sand, in harm’s way, zero tolerance, and thank you for your service. We also should stop describing corporations that export jobs as job creators, especially since most jobs are created by small businesses. Lets also end the whining that any increase in taxes on the wealthy is punishing achievement. Economic reality and history tells us these are a joke.

Let’s also loose: first responders, health care professional, peace officer, and person of interest. The habit of calling our soldiers warriors doesn’t fit with the values of an allegedly free and independent people either. It’s as absurd as Mitt Romney claiming to understand what it’s like to be unemployed. It’s another way that we’re being militarized in order to accept permanent war as the normal state of things like we’ve already accepted our use of convict labor, little different than the Chinese. Of course you get attacked for deviating from our national fictions when you acknowledge such things.

Here’s another: stop declaring that those we oppose are “bad guys.” How arrogant and presumptuous is that? Is an Afghan farmer who’s defending himself from foreign invaders a “bad guy”? It’s somewhat understandable in a war zone but not forgivable when police refer to suspects the same way. Supposedly people are innocent until proven guilty. The cops don’t know they’re bad guys until they’ve been convicted of a crime but it’s easier to justify tasing a bad guy than an ordinary old citizen.

This kind of language effectively makes us more submissive to authority. To say anything critical about them becomes blasphemy. It leads us towards a form of childish hero worship. It grants our theoretical protectors, the warriors, peace officers, and first responders, a heroic status that places them beyond criticism, and reduces us to being “consumers/cattle”. It creates passiveness and obedience, the results of which are all around us to see. Unprovoked invasions, growing police powers and Wall Street bailouts wouldn’t be possible without it.

The same things are done with our politicians and “free press” who are sold as being “on our side” while they proceed to make the rich richer and us poorer and America attacks small countries in that process. Its what’s happening when American actions are described as being in the interests of “freedom and democracy” as any words in opposition especially from countries like Russia or Venezuela are dismissed; no way they could have any accurate views we’re guaranteed.

“Our leaders” screech about their “success” at endeavors like killin’ Ay-rabs, cutting spending, and preserving the larcenous private health insurance industry among other misguided Fox-friendly gestures to get “elected”. Neither campaign has anything practical nor useful to offer the increasingly unwashed masses which they pretend respect, so both tell spooky stories about how awful the other one would be instead. 

The true believers in America imagine every dangerous truth that challenges the government’s official narrative of history is a conspiracy theory; a term that inspires terror and anxiety because of its connection with insanity, irrationality, paranoia, and other mental illness.

Rethuglicans say they care about the deficit as their candidates offer budget-busting tax giveaways to the wealthy.  They say they’re uncomfortable with abortion, so try to ban birth control and sex education.  

Obummer takes a different approach with voters budget concerns, with Democrats offers to slash Social Security and Medicare.  We’re told they’re skeptical of foreign entanglement, so Democrats offer death by drone.  Citizens who care for the environment hear about a “study” of the latest death-dealing toxic endeavor before it’s approved anyway.  Both “parties” are using “our government” to make the rich more so. It’s curious that this worship of “our leaders” happens as they continue proving themselves to be criminals. 

Americans are physical, mental, emotional, moral, financial and political slobs addicted to entertainment, shopping, junk food, prescription drugs, and to anything else that provides pleasure.  We allow our TV to do our thinking for us as our families fall apart our lives center on pleasing ourselves.  We’re the middle-aged man who shows up for an important event in sandals, sweatpants and a stained t-shirt? We are a shadow of what we once were as a nation.

Insanity is thinking your hallucinations are real. Religions believe that others hallucinations are real. Hypocrisy is as American as high fructose corn syrup and predator drones. Insanity is believing what others tell you without investigating because you have chosen to consider they’re worth following; you’re their puppy.

Craig Dudley