It seems like every public event that I attend that has the U.S. National Anthem with images on some screen played prior to the festivities shows clips of Warships, fighter jets, and military troops with an occasional mountain of forest thrown in. In other countries during similar events they show pictures of mountains and coastlines and prosperous cities of their country kind of they way we used to do it here. I just wonder what we are becoming when we so blantantly equate the military with patriotism? Patriotism has long been used to recruit service men but it seems recently that the line between patriotism and the military has been erased. They are two very different ideals that have merged into one entity. There are many here in this forum that believe that there is no difference but are we just being conditioned by the military industrial complex to believe this. What do you think? Are we becoming too war-like as a nation?
^^^ It can't be helped. Good solid healthy Americans all come from 'Warrior Societies.' Celts, Zulus, Greeks, etc. We're all only 50 generations or less from the violent Dark Ages where the sword ruled. FYI, The Celts were asked to migrate into Turkey a couple of thousand years ago just because they were warlike and would suppress the rival tribes of the King. It was an admirable quality and awards were presented for heroism...
In my opinion, the nation has become too militaristic. This is not a traditional American value, but a disease we contracted during the cold war that hasn't been cured yet. It is easy to see the danger in this by just watching the news. For example, if someone speaks out against the war, the response is inevitably "you don't support the troops." This is nonsense, but passes for patriotism. The administration has every intention of pursuing continuous warfare against somebody, someplace. None of the leading democratic candidates for president will change this. They just promise to do it better. We have numerous forward military bases all over the world that drain the treasury and have no legitimate defensive purpose. Congress seems powerless and irrelevant. When you watch or read the national news, just keep saying to yourself, "There has been a military coup," and then everything you see starts to make more sense. Lately, there has been more recongnition of the danger, so maybe it's not too late to pull back from the brink.
Our culture, our real american culture, is the celebration of the strength and unity of our country and its creation out of chaos. We have done so much since our days as a fledgling republic to the world's lone superpower. We have influence everywhere. Is it no surprise that the end result of our rise to the greatest country on earth we would look at the images that got us there? Plus things exploding excite all men on some base level, they are playing to the common denominator.
I'd like to think we as civilized people have grown past that. I'm not saying to lay down our arms and pick daisys, but war should be the last resort. We had a nice long peaceful time between Vietnam and the Gulf. Prosperous too. I dont think we are TOO war like as a people. But we sure arent afriad to fight.
One other thought... During the Republican presidential debate, the candidates were asked about a nuclear first strike against Iran. Ron Paul was the only one who ruled it out. The fact that this lunacy wasn't jumped on by the liberal press says a lot about just how much militarism the people have come to accept as "normal."
Nah, we aren't too war like, after all, look at all of those people who disagree with us, and they are still alive! (Insert theme of John Lennon singing: "All we are saying...etc.)
Never in the history of mankind has a nation with so much power and a nation that has won so many battles has very little to show for it. Think about it...all we ask for is enough real estate to bury our dead. So, to answer the question..."NO", but as the big-dog of the world, you have to expect people/countries/islam to take a shot at you because our enemies are more than willing to take over the top spot. So yes, we must defend ourselves against evil and yes, that requires killings animals like "true" muslims.
Midas, I've never run into anyone in my life who is more frightened than you are about what someone halfway around the world might do to you. One of the benefits of being a truly great and powerful nation is that we could ignore the actions of smaller nations and people, if we had enough brains to do so. You think the US is great because we have a powerful military. I think we can afford a powerful military because we are a great nation. The difference in perception leads to a difference in action.
The only time I hear the NZ national anthem seems to be at sporting events!! BUt we also are not afraid to fight and I think the 2003 Iraq war is one of the only times we didn't send troops to stand along side the USA or the UK (our army was on stand by for the Falklands). So compared to us you are very war like but when you have all the nutters in the world blaming you for everything that goes wrong in their countrys you have to be ready.
Bush cannot accept that war lost of Iraq. He get out of military service, and not go combat, but he have right send others to death in Iraq. Good job Bush. He so out of reality.
I agree with that to a certain extent. I mean, saddam was a bad guy, I'm glad he's gone. So lets get out now since we haven't made a bit of progress since capturing him.
