Perpetual War & Never-ending State of Mourning

#1
Rasputin_Vol

Rasputin_Vol

"Slava Ukraina"
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#1
I'm about to catch flak for this, but here it goes...

This is just something that has popped into my mind over the last few weeks, but I remember a few weeks ago walking to my car about to leave my office when I noticed that the flag was at half mast. The thought occurred to me then that I can't seem to ever remember the flag NOT being at half mast far too often. Seems like when I was a kid, it was a rare occurrence, but now, it literally seems like it could be in that state for a majority of the year.

Then, I went to a Braves game not too long ago and I knew we would have the national anthem and what not. But since I'm not too plugged in to the mainstream/the Matrix, it really hit me at that game just how militarized and propagandized these events are. Veterans throwing out first pitches, being welcomed home after "fighting for our freedoms" and "God Bless America" singing during the 7th inning stretch...

All of this military worship and faux patriotic symbolism has just seemed to be ratcheted way up since 9/11. And my initial feelings about some of this got confirmed when I saw this older news story...

Obama has ordered flags at half-staff more than any president in history

This country is being propagandized with all of the red/white/blue bunting, the stadium fly overs, rah rah 'Murica singing, and constant reminders of why we are (allegedly) fighting these wars halfway around the globe (for our freedoms... which are rapidly eroding).
 
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#2
#2
If you listened to Trump's state of the union, you would think we are a nation consisting solely of soldiers, fire fighters, police, teachers and nurses.
 
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#3
#3
midnight orange said:
If you listened to Trump's state of the union, you would think we are a nation consisting solely of soldiers, fire fighters, police, teachers and nurses.
Click to expand...

All are usually govt employees except for the nurses. So that gets us further down the rabbit hole where we worship the men and women in uniforms.
 
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#4
#4
Rasputin_Vol said:
I'm about to catch flak for this, but here it goes...

This is just something that has popped into my mind over the last few weeks, but I remember a few weeks ago walking to my car about to leave my office when I noticed that the flag was at half mast. The thought occurred to me then that I can't seem to ever remember the flag NOT being at half mast far too often. Seems like when I was a kid, it was a rare occurrence, but now, it literally seems like it could be in that state for a majority of the year.

Then, I went to a Braves game not too long ago and I knew we would have the national anthem and what not. But since I'm not too plugged in to the mainstream/the Matrix, it really hit me at that game just how militarized and propagandized these events are. Veterans throwing out first pitches, being welcomed home after "fighting for our freedoms" and "God Bless America" singing during the 7th inning stretch...

All of this military worship and faux patriotic symbolism has just seemed to be ratcheted way up since 9/11. And my initial feelings about some of this got confirmed when I saw this older news story...

Obama has ordered flags at half-staff more than any president in history

This country is being propagandized with all of the red/white/blue bunting, the stadium fly overs, rah rah 'Murica singing, and constant reminders of why we are (allegedly) fighting these wars halfway around the globe (for our freedoms... which are rapidly eroding).
Click to expand...

Have a Snickers......
 
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#6
#6
Rasputin_Vol said:
All are usually govt employees except for the nurses. So that gets us further down the rabbit hole where we worship the men and women in uniforms.
Click to expand...

I listened to a great podcast on The Dangerous History podcast about propaganda. Prof CJ had some interesting opinions on the use of effective propaganda. He contended that western gov propaganda had to be of a higher quality than closed society propaganda. In a freer society, you have to get the customer or citizen to buy in. In a closed society it doesn't have to be as creative because citizens cannot publically rebute what the gov says whether they believe it or not.
 
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#7
#7
I guess the issue I have with the ‘merica stuff is it waters it down doing it for every little thing. We should owe it to our military and first responders to make it mean something. I don’t quite roll my eyes when I see it all the time now, but it certainly doesn’t have the impact it should. It’s literally all the time and everywhere now.

It’s the safe button to push that nobody is going to publicly gripe over. Part of that is due to the liberal ultra-PC society we live in where somebody will get offended no matter what you do. We are a nation of whiners that need to grow the F up.
 
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#9
#9
So you are coming off of Military Appreciation Month, May, and the exposure is more prominent then. You also have several holidays and prominent dates during that time related to the military (Memorial Day, VE Day, etc...). Something to consider.

Edit: also this was put in place by Congress in 1999. So while your observation of the timing with 9/11 is close it isn’t the actual reason for NMAM as it predated 9/11
 
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#10
#10
rjd970 said:
I guess the issue I have with the ‘merica stuff is it waters it down doing it for every little thing. We should owe it to our military and first responders to make it mean something. I don’t quite roll my eyes when I see it all the time now, but it certainly doesn’t have the impact it should. It’s literally all the time and everywhere now.

It’s the safe button to push that nobody is going to publicly gripe over. Part of that is due to the liberal ultra-PC society we live in where somebody will get offended no matter what you do. We are a nation of whiners that need to grow the F up.
Click to expand...


Yeah Ras......:p
 
#11
#11
Rasputin_Vol said:
I'm about to catch flak for this, but here it goes...

This is just something that has popped into my mind over the last few weeks, but I remember a few weeks ago walking to my car about to leave my office when I noticed that the flag was at half mast. The thought occurred to me then that I can't seem to ever remember the flag NOT being at half mast far too often. Seems like when I was a kid, it was a rare occurrence, but now, it literally seems like it could be in that state for a majority of the year.

Then, I went to a Braves game not too long ago and I knew we would have the national anthem and what not. But since I'm not too plugged in to the mainstream/the Matrix, it really hit me at that game just how militarized and propagandized these events are. Veterans throwing out first pitches, being welcomed home after "fighting for our freedoms" and "God Bless America" singing during the 7th inning stretch...

All of this military worship and faux patriotic symbolism has just seemed to be ratcheted way up since 9/11. And my initial feelings about some of this got confirmed when I saw this older news story...

Obama has ordered flags at half-staff more than any president in history

This country is being propagandized with all of the red/white/blue bunting, the stadium fly overs, rah rah 'Murica singing, and constant reminders of why we are (allegedly) fighting these wars halfway around the globe (for our freedoms... which are rapidly eroding).
Click to expand...
First off, using the word 'propagandize' in making these kinds of arguments makes you sound like a nutcase.

That being said, I agree with you that it is done far too much, and incorrectly to boot.

From usflag.org:

USFlag.org: A website dedicated to the Flag of the United States of America - Flag Etiquette

The word 'hero' is used far too much as well.
 
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#12
#12
I think this is the other side of the coin thing.

Personally I see zero of it. I rarely see a flag at all. The half mast thing goes back to over zealous media and social spheres where EVERYTHING is blown up. Throwing out first pitch, who else you going to get? At least they are athletic and hopefully won't embarrass themselves. Unless you pay getting a star or other public entity is hard to do.

Also it's the summer so things just get ramped up.

Not sure about the hero thing but probably again the media thing Imo
 
#13
#13
SpaceCoastVol said:
First off, using the word 'propagandize' in making these kinds of arguments makes you sound like a nutcase.

That being said, I agree with you that it is done far too much, and incorrectly to boot.

From usflag.org:

USFlag.org: A website dedicated to the Flag of the United States of America - Flag Etiquette

The word 'hero' is used far too much as well.
Click to expand...

Y'all know i am extremely patriotic, i knew how to care for and honor an American flag before I started school, due to the one that still flies on the front of my Pappaws home. I do agree however that the word "hero" is greatly over used, which diminishes real heroes..want to see a hero? Read up on the air force guy that recently received the medal of honor posthumously for his actions in afghanistan..amazing..chuck Norris couldn't hold this guys balls if he was driving a forklift...that is a hero...calling some ballplayer a hero is a disgraceful act. They play a children's game, as a career...

I also think some of the stuff they do is kinda propaganda...and cam also take away from the honor when it is needed and done right. The 21 gun salute and military honors my little brother and dad both got at their funerals in the last 6 months were beautiful, respectful, and honored them both. Presenting the flag to my mom was the highest honor imaginable. I held her arm to hold her up while they presented my dad's flag to her. She wept. She grew up on base, as her dad and husband both served 26 years. My pappaw is fading fast, soon he will receive the same honors. I dont ever want to see people who have never served and know nothing of military life do anything to cheapen the honor that our flag carries in and of itself. It has been draped on the coffins of many men so brave that the average American doesnt deserve to be mentioned in the same breath. My dad, brother, nor Pappaw were or are heroes in the conventional sense of the word. They dont have purple hearts, or medals of honor, or any other awards for uncommon valor in the face of certain death. All 3 served honorably though, followed orders, and rose through the ranks with high marks for character, discipline, and hard work. I am proud of all 3 of them, and have learned alot from the older 2 as i grew up.

I honestly don't know where to draw the line between patriotism and propaganda. We should be proud of our country. It is the greatest and most powerful, prosperous, and freest the world has ever known. Many men much better than myself have died to protect those freedoms, this quality of life. They deserve more respect than they are ever given. Sadly, we have long since reached our peak as a country in my opinion, that happened after ww2...we have been in a steady nosedive since then, and are increasing our velocity as we speak. Many people use the freedoms our society provides to tear apart the very society that provides them, we have turned our back on God, and evil and ignorance is everywhere...apathy abounds, and seems to be tenfold in the millenials what it was in the generation before them. Our once proud country will eventually buckle and break under the weight of a lazy, obese, uneducated, immoral populace that can't see the forest for the trees...and thinks it's always someone else's fault, or somebody else's problem to solve.
 
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#16
#16
Rasputin_Vol said:
If my use of a word triggers someone else, is that my problem or theirs?
Click to expand...
Ahhhhh you think I am triggered by your use of that word. Nope. Try again. In my opinion it diminishes the voracity of your argument which makes it less effective.
 
#17
#17
NorthDallas40 said:
So you are coming off of Military Appreciation Month, May, and the exposure is more prominent then. You also have several holidays and prominent dates during that time related to the military (Memorial Day, VE Day, etc...). Something to consider.
Click to expand...
Fair point...


NorthDallas40 said:
Edit: also this was put in place by Congress in 1999. So while your observation of the timing with 9/11 is close it isn’t the actual reason for NMAM as it predated 9/11
Click to expand...
The link I posted with regards to Obama setting the record for most half mast executive orders indicated it started with Eisenhower.

Nevertheless, there just seems to be have been a noticeable uptick since 9/11, either way.
 
#18
#18
A couple thoughts:

Part of this I see as a backlash to Vietnam where the troops were attacked for an unpopular war. To avoid that occurring again society adopted the opposite extreme even though the wars remain unpopular.

Part of this I see as RJD posted. Safezone among landmines of perpetual offense.
 
#19
#19
SpaceCoastVol said:
Ahhhhh you think I am triggered by your use of that word. Nope. Try again. In my opinion it diminishes the voracity of your argument which makes it less effective.
Click to expand...

I didn't say you were triggered. All I said was if the use of a word triggers someone else, is that my issue or theirs?

Also, I'm not going to grammar police you, but how in this instance is using "propagandize" diminishing the veracity of my argument when we have proof of the govt using tax payer money to promote the very things I described at sporting events?
 
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#20
#20
Rasputin_Vol said:
I'm about to catch flak for this, but here it goes...

This is just something that has popped into my mind over the last few weeks, but I remember a few weeks ago walking to my car about to leave my office when I noticed that the flag was at half mast. The thought occurred to me then that I can't seem to ever remember the flag NOT being at half mast far too often. Seems like when I was a kid, it was a rare occurrence, but now, it literally seems like it could be in that state for a majority of the year.

Then, I went to a Braves game not too long ago and I knew we would have the national anthem and what not. But since I'm not too plugged in to the mainstream/the Matrix, it really hit me at that game just how militarized and propagandized these events are. Veterans throwing out first pitches, being welcomed home after "fighting for our freedoms" and "God Bless America" singing during the 7th inning stretch...

All of this military worship and faux patriotic symbolism has just seemed to be ratcheted way up since 9/11. And my initial feelings about some of this got confirmed when I saw this older news story...

Obama has ordered flags at half-staff more than any president in history

This country is being propagandized with all of the red/white/blue bunting, the stadium fly overs, rah rah 'Murica singing, and constant reminders of why we are (allegedly) fighting these wars halfway around the globe (for our freedoms... which are rapidly eroding).
Click to expand...

Bingo.
 
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#21
#21
I believe in supporting and honoring the military regardless of whether it’s during war or a time of peace.
 
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#23
#23
golfballs said:
I believe in supporting and honoring the military regardless of whether it’s during war or a time of peace.
Click to expand...

I would love for us to do it in a time of peace... I guess that is where frustration is centered. Not on us honoring the military, but us honoring the military as a way of advancing a perpetual war agenda.
 
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#25
#25
Rasputin_Vol said:
I would love for us to do it in a time of peace... I guess that is where frustration is centered. Not on us honoring the military, but us honoring the military as a way of advancing a perpetual war agenda.
Click to expand...

Why can I not honor those in uniform (current or previously) regardless of what the government is doing?
 
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