Is anyone else terrified that potential presidents are competing as to who is the most and truest conservative? I didn't know you could get a prize for being openly willing to persecute those who don't read the same books as you. To be willing to hunt down and murder men. To be uncompromising in the fight to preserve "America" whatever the hell that means.
What is "America." I problematize that word because America is a continent, and a rather big, on which lies many countries, with many people, many traditions and many languages. I continue to problematize the word because it really isn't anything concrete to being with. America is little more than a collective (and an exclusive collective at that) idea that doesn't reflect a certain truth or history, but rather reflects our modern world. Nationalism, dear friends, is not something inherent; it is not a logical modern outcome of history. There is no true America.
I hear a lot of talk about the Founding Fathers. I almost laugh out loud due to the absurdity that the, arguably, misguided men who founded this nation had a long term vision and idea of what "America" was, should be and will be. It is absurd the belief that the Constitution somehow holds sacred knowledge and fact about what America was and is. Our very recollection and recognition of the past is purely a creation of ourselves and a rationalizing of who we are and where we are today. Any idea of the past is informed by numerous parties, schools of though, personal motives, etc.
Sure the United States exists and has existed in the past. This is obvious. I'll go further, there are trends in action and image that link together different points in time. But this is not because there is some true "America" that keeps us from descending into anarchy, communism and Islam. Trends are simply durations of similar problems which elicit similar responses by similar people. These are subject to change and have changed and always will change. Can something really be considered "UN-American?" Is there some true America to conserve? Won't conservatives simply incite more change by purposely setting and altering America's great march through history?
Shouldn't we look for a leader who has the best ideas of how to help the dismal downward spiraling situation that we call America? I've asked a lot of questions so far. For an answer I'll say this: Adhering to (and believing it to be certain truth) a notion that we must conserve and protect an idea of America (that is as much at the whims of political climate as a leaf is to the wind) is not the way.
7 years ago
3 comments:
Hyper, belligerent Nationalism is a centeral characteristic of Fascism.
Right down to over-use of the national symbols such as the American flag being seen everywhere now.
Fascist leaders gin up an enemy to unite the nation and to project the nations anger and fears toward. All the while they steal and suck America dry of it's resources.
We are a fascist state under Bush to be sure. Just because it doesn't look like the Hitler style doesn't mean it's not a major facet of the Bush doctrine. There are many forms of "soft" fascism.
Americans are so young on the time-scale of history and we are so arrogant thinking that we are a "special," country ordained by "God" even. This narrative plays out in the naive tendency that Americans have to arrogantly assert that America will always be great.
Clearly those who believe this are not students of history. They don't know the outcome of the Roman Empire or the fall of the Greeks. I doubt that they know about the fall of the Pharaohs in Egypt.
The failed Ottoman Empire, the Mongols and the list goes on and on.
All great civilizations are destined to fall and forced to reinvent itself. I worry that many in the Republican movement secretly (or not so secretly with some zealots) wish and work toward the decent of America and the destruction of the world and our environment.
Because then this line of thinking leads to the delusion that they helped hasten the hero Super-Jesus to save us all. I apologize to the moderate and chill Christians who might have been offended by that comment.
But I must say that I like some of what Jesus said but see him as a mystic and not a Messiah. As for the rest of Christianity? I've had it with your preachy abuse. If heaven is full of you zealots then I'll be happy to take my place in hell. Anything would be better than having to live with the Jesus Camp.
Sorry to go off on your blog brother but your great post lit a fire under my arse.
Oh one more thing, a question...
Would you be able to change your font to a larger size and perhaps change the color to white? I dig reading your blog but have a hard time reading it with my mushy 30 something eyes.
Just wondering :)
Thanks for considering the font size change. :)
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