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June 30, 2017
Open Thread 2017-26
Comments
lawrence davidson writes about Walls For The Dead, specifically about the vietnam memorial in ac/dc. the news that a traveling version of same was coming to a place near him evoked the ‘analysis’.
All cultures have their patriotic stories – stories about founders, heroes, how the nation is special, and so forth. The first and foremost criterion for such stories is not that they be historically accurate, but rather that they be celebratory in a patriotic and public fashion.
Belief in such stories is part of the glue that holds societies together, and so they are learned and reinforced in multiple ways from childhood on. Soon the sanctity of the idols and causes presented in the stories become the stuff of faith and, unless a culture is on the verge of collapse, extremely difficult to widely call into question. As part of this context, all soldiers serve in good causes, and those who die do likewise. That is why, here in the United States, people now go around saying “thank you for your service” – it is like a mantra – to soldiers and veterans, even though they have no idea what the service is or was really all about.
And what about the few people who somehow become “social mistakes”? That is, those who no longer believe in the emotionally reassuring stories? Well, some of us write blogs and then go fishing, others try to push their points within the political and media arenas, and many may ultimately give in to alienation and a sort of socio-political melancholy. Whichever way it goes, it is the fate of such people to always be outnumbered, not only by the patriots, but also by the dead.
such “social mistakes” … most of us here … are fated always to be outnumbered by the dead, the victims of these wars.
as much as i agree with all the points he makes in his analysis, i’m still left as one of the people, one who mourns the loss of american lives in american wars. they’re mostly ‘kids’, hoodwinked into the killing and dying by the basest of lies : that the wars are fought for transcendently good causes. the people who tell those lies know they’re lies, yet invoke the Big Lie of the Good War for reasons that seem to them ‘worthy’ at the time, their scale always weighing out dollars and ‘good sense’.
it ought to be the case that all americans can allow their sorrow at this tragedy … chronicles of deaths foretold at the first shot fired on paper before the wars are even begun … at these monuments to war. to transform them from the monuments to wars that they are to monuments to the human lives cynically spent in their pursuit. and to use these monuments … there’s at least one in every american town … to join in solidarity against more of these killer wars.
to join with the american dead in all the wars, and then with the immeasurably large number of the dead on ‘the other side’ working to end, if not all war, at least these ‘free-lance’ wars of aggression like the us war in vietnam, like the us war in korea before it, like the us ‘civil’ wars in central and south america, like the us wars in afghanistan, iraq, libya, syria, yemen, ukraine …
first step is to seize power, non-violently. first over ourselves, and then over our society. and one space to seize power is at these memorials to war, converting them to memorials to the victims of war, then using them to stop adding more and more monuments to more and more wars and more and more victims.
Posted by: jfl | Jul 6 2017 5:22 utc | 101
@107
are you a pal of john’s? you seem to have the same dead, cynical, superior attitude he used to show … perhaps it’s a case of dr. john and mr. nudge? wasn’t there an antidote? the sunrise? it must be nighttime where you are. hope it’s not always nighttime.
Posted by: jfl | Jul 6 2017 9:06 utc | 102
Probably a good idea is to examine CNN’s corporate charter to determine if it is being followed. If not, revoke CNN’s right to do business altogether. Accept no substitute.
Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Jul 6 2017 9:31 utc | 103
well, john, nudge, ftb, et al … you’ve run me out of here. it’s just not a pleasant place to be any longer.
Posted by: jfl | Jul 6 2017 11:59 utc | 104
Idiot Trump is in anti-russian-easter-europe just 1 day before meeting Russia, he have already blasted Russia many times, just today in Nato-loving-Poland. Sigh.
Posted by: Anoynous | Jul 6 2017 12:12 utc | 105
– The US wants/wanted to impose more sanctions on Russia & Iran last june.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-sanctions-idUSKBN18Y2W5
Posted by: Willy2 | Jul 6 2017 12:35 utc | 106
@jfl @110
well, john, nudge, ftb, et al … you’ve run me out of here. it’s just not a pleasant place to be any longer.
Posted by: jfl | Jul 6, 2017 7:59:55 AM |
Sorry to hear jfl and I hope that you will stay.
The “john” and “nudge” that bothered you were trolls. I deleted their comments and blocked them. Don’t let such random noise bother you.
I will look through “Formerly T-Bear”‘s comments and delete those I consider ad-hominem.
—
@Formerly T-Bear – you are herewith warned. Ad-hominems will get you banned from this site. Stop making such or leave.
‘b’
Don’t bother yourself deleting my comments, I have just deleted your direct link for access. You are adept with languages well enough to recognise a sentence is constructed of subject, verb and predicate (in some order). Although sometimes I did sail close to the eye of the wind, I am not cognisant of any time the subject of my comment was a person, rather what that person said or did. Look up ad hominem and see how that differs. Snowflake is a recently developed term, perjoritive perhaps, but one that indicated an ego that cannot stand criticism or contradiction. Your ad hominem falls into that category of censorship by emotion. Good luck with your site, there are many good people commenting and much good information to be had, but t has fallen into the clutches of snowflakes. I will not support your censorship, whatever your ‘right’. Adios.
Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Jul 6 2017 14:32 utc | 108
b says:
The “john” and “nudge” that bothered you were trolls. I deleted their comments and blocked them
curious that it took you 4 or 5 years to decide that i’m a troll. gotta be something else in play…
i will keep reading, ’cause i do like your blog, but as Formerly T-Bear says,
I will not support your censorship
Posted by: john | Jul 6 2017 16:29 utc | 109
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo (Democrat Party) signs first-ever executive order against BDS boycotters that directs state entities to divest all public funds from organizations that support the BDS campaign against Israel (whether directly or through subsidiaries/associates).
Cuomo: If you boycott Israel, New York will boycott YOU
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Jul 7 2017 4:55 utc | 110
@104 jfl
I value your veteran contributions and input. Would be tough to see a writer worth his salt like you bail. Even t-bear is wonderful sounding as he is tearing one to shreds.
Interesting times ahead. The fact that b has not monetized this site, a la zerohedge, et al., and the depth of information contributed here, is really a staggering rarity. On a more popular post, look at the contributions! Amazing wealth of work and further reading from people with a common interest to watch the empire burn. Don’t tire yourself out. Take a break. In the meantime…Hopefully this establishment will stand through the torrents. But everything bows to the waters of time.
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jul 7 2017 5:19 utc | 111
After sleeping on my final comment this site, FYI the Formerly was added to the nom-de-blog when ¿administrators? at FireDogPuddle censored an objection to the comments of a hasbara during the “Cast Lead” atrocity on Gaza, ending a long sojourn at that site. Several other sites also made the mistake of not having an understanding of the meaning of the english translation of the Latin for ‘To the person’ and also censored and were never accessed again as a result. Ad hominem is used by scoundrels and mental cripples to cover their lack of ability to mount a counter-arguement to criticism, or questioning of some statement or position they had taken. Censoring under the guise of ad hominem only kills whatever communication there might have been. Those who use censorship to silence will get only that – silence, their stewardship of the medium is not to be trusted and they are, when bottom line is reached, not different that the propagandists they decry and unworthy of being considered as having integrity. This is the second time censorship has occurred here, and since profound disrespect was shown this commentator, disrespect will be returned with this site relegated to the ethers – unattended. Bernhardt, your conduct is impossible to differentiate from what goes on in the duhmerican culture; I regret ever having visited your site but that will be rectified forthwith – two fingers to you.
Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Jul 7 2017 10:34 utc | 112
Pakistan is critical to a successful and peaceful shift in the balance of world power toward China. (A natural shift but not inevitable if the U.S. and its military-industrial complex want to have a world war over the matter.) I’m cautiously hopeful with this report on Pakistan’s relatively new army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa:
“… Over the last decade, Pakistan’s relationship with the various GCC states has been rocky, while its relationship with Iran hit an all-time low with constant border skirmishes and public diplomatic spats.
“But in his first six months, Bajwa has made it a priority to fix both and is making his orders top down to other generals. He has also refused to be drawn into taking sides with Saudi Arabia in the crisis against Qatar. He has given comfort and support to Qatar and told the Saudis that he will assist, but not serve them.
“Bajwa is the first Pakistan Army chief to reach out to Iran publicly and look to reassure it that Pakistan shall be a force for stability and not a spoiler in the Iran-Saudi rivalry over the Middle East.”
fairleft | Jul 7, 2017 7:35:55 AM | 113
Thanks for that; it seems things are shifting, ever so slowly, away from U.S. hegemon to a truly multi-polar world.
I can hardly wait to see what a hash of things Trump makes with Putin; IMO this is a seminal moment…
Posted by: V. Arnold | Jul 7 2017 11:45 utc | 114
In case you havent noticed,
Those mad chinamen have just picked on another defenceless victim, tiny Bhutan kingdom at Himalaya….
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2017/07/06/sikkim-stand-off-china-india-collide-himalayas/
Posted by: denk | Jul 8 2017 3:52 utc | 115
denk @115:
Did you read the article? Here’s a summary: The dispute (over territory that intl law and treaty has recognized since 1890 as Chinese) is entirely Modi the Indian ultra-nationalist playing to the mob.
fairleft 116,
In case you havent noticed,
Im mocking the IndiaN narrative.
Very cunning !
Get tiny Bhutan to confront China, then India came to rescue its ‘protectorate’from the big bad bully .
same M.O. in SCS.
Tying down Guliver with the Lillyputians.
To the world,
one More reason to fear/loathe China !
BLACK IS WHITE
WAR IS PEACE
MIGHT IS RIGHT.
*entirely Modi the Indian ultra-nationalist playing to the mob*
UNCLE sham’s finger print is all over the place.
Bhutan merely carry out Delhi’s dictat, while Bharat is doing Washington’s bidding.
Posted by: denk | Jul 8 2017 17:25 utc | 117
– The mexican government used spyware called Pegasus to spy on people who were critics of that same government.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40567277
Posted by: Willy2 | Jul 12 2017 11:39 utc | 118
– Kris Kobach is busy to prepare the next Republican election victory. He even is targeting the states of California and Texas. The video (see below) has more details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrecwbEDDaA
Posted by: Willy2 | Jul 12 2017 11:46 utc | 119