Patriotism and Bravery

      I have often stated that the U.S. government is run by a bunch of clueless buffoons, poverty pimps, power-crazed maniacs, busybody nannies, and bloodthirsty warmongers.  For this, I have been accused of being unpatriotic.  They say that I should show honor and respect to my duly elected leaders.

      Patriotism.  That is one very loaded word.  Allow me to respond to the charge:

      I love this land.  I love my people.  I love our heritage, our culture, and our unique way of life.  However, I do NOT love our government.  In fact, I despise and loathe this stupid farce we call "government".  I wish it would just go away, or at least shrink down to a tiny fraction of its present size. 

      Does that make me unpatriotic?  (Side note:  Go back and re-read the Declaration of Independence.)

      As for these so-called "leaders":  there is not one single politician currently in office that I voted for.  In fact, of all the politicians holding office all over the country, less than 1% would get my vote, given the option.  Yet I'm told that I must honor them?

      Closely related is this concept they call "bravery".  As my loyal readers know, I am very much opposed to the current U.S. foreign policy of trying to establish a global military empire, picking sides in every conflict across the globe, and ready to go to war anywhere, anytime, for any reason - all at the expense of taxpayers and live soldiers.  The hard-core neo-conservatives will claim that this is not an "empire", but rather is just part of being a "superpower".  But that's the same thing with just a more patriotic-sounding euphemism.

     For my views, I have been called a coward.  Again, let me respond to the charge: 

     I have no qualms about blowing the brains out of any foreigner who means harm to me, my home, and my family.  (And not just foreigners - I'd do the same thing to native-born evildoers.)  Does this make me a coward?

     What I have described is "defense".  And in fact, I have no philosophical aversion to a government-run military whose sole purpose is defending Americans on American soil.  But these days something like 60% of the U.S. military budget is spent OUTSIDE our borders on military campaigns that could more accurately be called "offense".

     The hard-core neoconservatives will of course say:  "The best defense is a good offense."  Maybe in sports, but military operations and war should not be thought of as a "sport".  Offense and defense are NOT the same thing.  The purpose of defense is to PREVENT war.  The purpose of offense is to WAGE war.

     In the TV series "Downton Abbey", which takes place in England from 1914 to the 1920s, there is an episode when World War I breaks out.  All of the males in the story are all fired-up and gung-ho to join the military and go fight for "country and king"!  It's reminiscent of the movie "Gone With the Wind", where the American Civil War breaks out, and all the Southern boys are whooping and hollering and running around all-so-excited to join the army and go kill some Yanks!   

      In both stories, once the war finally winds down, we see that most of the formerly gung-ho combatants are either dead, seriously maimed, or very disillusioned.  And then people ask:  after all this death and destruction, why did we do that?  Have we made the world a better place? 

     Of course, the people who asked that tough question BEFORE all the bloodshed were labeled unpatriotic cowards.  But to honor the spirit embodied in the Declaration of Independence is true patriotism.  And to stand firm in those beliefs, even when they become unpopular, is true bravery.