The "statesman" actually made that unstatesman-like comment. [15] While I am anti-war I am not anti-human being and do not believe "military men are just dumb, stupid animals." They just got a militarized education that taught them to follow orders traceable to people like the "statesman." And as a matter of conjecture, couldn't America's statesmen and stateswomen (count the latter on a piece of one hand) just as easily if not accurately be referred to as dumb, stupid members of the regime in power?
By Jingoistic Patriotism
But before textbooks are opened in children's classrooms across America the Pledge of Allegiance is most likely to be recited. In one of its more judicious reversals, the US Supreme Court changed its mind and ruled that public school children no longer could be compelled to recite the pledge, and added in the majority opinion that---"no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein." [16] Try telling that, however, to impressionable young children anxious to conform and avoid being bullied.
Outside the classroom are many other arranged opportunities for the expression of jingoistic patriotism and the teaching of bad loyalties. Democracy writing contests (my wife won one sponsored by the local public school), school assemblies and sporting events are some of those opportunities. .
Bad loyalty, like jingoistic patriotism, depends on emotionalism that is easily taught and contagious. Bad loyalty is like Hitlerism. Good loyalty is unwavering support of a good cause, a good person, a good state. Good loyalty, like respect, is earned. Good loyalty is more a reasoned than an emotional response. A nation that instills bad loyalty in its youth in the service of ignoble ends is unworthy of any loyalty. Good loyalty is to a real democracy. Bad loyalty is to a corpocracy masquerading as a democracy with flags, anthems and pledges.
By Captive Recruiting
Ever since conscription was ended to avoid protests on the scale of the Vietnam War protests the military has had difficulty in getting new soldiers, especially in war time, which is standard USA Time. To take up the slack waivers have been given by the Army and Marines to felons, allowing them to join---now they can loot in foreign lands. [17] Additionally, and of more pertinence here is that Congress allowed military recruiters to scour available personal information about 11th and 12th graders and to go into public high schools hunting potential recruits instead of relying only on walk-ins to downtown recruiting offices. "It was overwhelming. To get to lunch in my high school, you had to pass recruiters,---I thought the recruiters had too much information about me." a college student told a reporter, who added that "Before an Army recruiter even picks up the phone to call a prospect---the soldier may know more about the kid's habits than do his own parents." [18]
Hello, Billy?
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
