I strongly dislike the American National Anthem — Page 2

Did you guys know that you can't spell "flag" without the letter "g?"

ChainsawAsh said:  And that we shouldn't have so many hangups about "disrespecting" the flag - it's just a flag, for fuck's sake.

Just a flag?  Tell that to soldiers who fight and die for our country.  Tell that to families of soldiers that die for our country.  I'm sorry I have hangups, but I'm going to going to respect that flag.   Of course, I am against forcing that respect via law.   I just thinks its something one ought to do.   As for removing "under God" and "In God We Trust"   I have no problem with their removal,  but the conservatives will fight tooth and nail against their removal.   It would be an almost impossible fight to win.    No, we can't remove "In God We Trust" from already existing money, but we can cease to put it on any coins and paper money.    Ironically,  I believe I do trust God,  I just don't believe such trust should be forced via law.

TV's Frink said:

Did you guys know that you can't spell "flag" without the letter "g?"

Captain Obvious strikes again.

Gaffer Tape said:

Warbler said:

Just a flag?  Tell that to soldiers who fight and die for our country.  Tell that to families of soldiers that die for our country. 

Well, I certainly hope those soldiers aren't fighting and dying for a flag, but rather the country that flag represents.

my point still remains.   Do you think those soldiers see the flag as just a piece of cloth?  

Exactly.  It was originally "One Nation, indivisible," which I'm perfectly fine with (and I personally think makes more sense, anyway).

And to me, Warb, the flag is just a piece of cloth.  I have no problem if others read more into it than I do, but as you say, it shouldn't be enforced via the law.  So I guess we sort of agree on that.

I am wary and distrustful of anything to do with flags or nationalism in any form.  Most of it is a bunch of hyper-masculine prick-waving, designed to keep a somnambulant public from questioning their masters, tossing about largely empty and ill-defined notions like 'freedom' while playing up arrogance and cultural superiority as justification for all kinds of horrible things.

George Carlin nailed it when he reduced this to what it's really about by describing the Bigger Dick Foreign Policy Theory, which is best summed up as, "What?  They have bigger dicks?  Bomb them!"  And as a corollary, "My god has a bigger dick than your god!"

You don't have to be an Angry Feminist Stereotype (tm) to see the illogical and ridiculous truth of this.

The current UK national anthem is all about glorifying and maintaining the monarchy because God said so and suppressing the powers of anyone other than the monarch.

It's a really dull tune too and the it's not uniquely British.

hairy_hen said:

I am wary and distrustful of anything to do with flags or nationalism in any form.  Most of it is a bunch of hyper-masculine prick-waving, designed to keep a somnambulant public from questioning their masters, tossing about largely empty and ill-defined notions like 'freedom' while playing up arrogance and cultural superiority as justification for all kinds of horrible things.

George Carlin nailed it when he reduced this to what it's really about by describing the Bigger Dick Foreign Policy Theory, which is best summed up as, "What?  They have bigger dicks?  Bomb them!"  And as a corollary, "My god has a bigger dick than your god!"

You don't have to be an Angry Feminist Stereotype (tm) to see the illogical and ridiculous truth of this.

Nope, you just have to be anti-American, or a pacifist, or and extreme leftist.  So freedom is an empty and ill-defined notion, and we bomb countries cause we think they have bigger dicks huh? wonderful.   Here I thought that things like 911 and Pearl Harbor had something to do with why we bomb countries.  What an idiot I am.  You should go to the politics thread.   I'd love to watch you debate Ferris, Xhonzi, and C3PX(whatever happened to Ferris and C3PX?).  It would be great comedy.   

ChainsawAsh said:

Exactly.  It was originally "One Nation, indivisible," which I'm perfectly fine with (and I personally think makes more sense, anyway).

I guarantee you Ferris would strongly disagree with you on the indivisible part.

ChainsawAsh said:

Well, I do.  And I'm saying this as someone who's generally against "political correctness."

 No one is ever for "political correctness." It's a meaningless term only used by opponents of something that roughly translates to "I think this thing is stupid."

xhonzi said:

And Warb, you can't say much to soldiers that have fought and died for this country.  Because they are dead.

you know what I meant.  You can however talk to their family members and soldiers who survived and those who are fighting today.  

xhonzi said:

And C3PX (and possibly Ferris) is taking a semi-permanent break from OT.com.

do you know that for certain?  that would unfortunate.     

btw, I just listened to Paralyzer.  Why in hell should that be our National Anthem?  It not even a patriotic song.  Its just a rock song.   

deleted.

hairy_hen said:

I am wary and distrustful of anything to do with flags or nationalism in any form.  Most of it is a bunch of hyper-masculine prick-waving, designed to keep a somnambulant public from questioning their masters, tossing about largely empty and ill-defined notions like 'freedom' while playing up arrogance and cultural superiority as justification for all kinds of horrible things.

This reminds me, we've got an election in a few weeks, right?

yep.

Warbler said:

btw, I just listened to Paralyzer.  Why in hell should that be our National Anthem?  It not even a patriotic song.  Its just a rock song.   

This thread is now about songs that should replace the national anthem.

I nominate I Got Your Back, Dude by Sluggo and the Sluggonauts.

Warbler said:

hairy_hen said:

... tossing about largely empty and ill-defined notions like 'freedom' while playing up arrogance and cultural superiority as justification for all kinds of horrible things.

 

... So freedom is an empty and ill-defined notion, and we bomb countries cause we think they have bigger dicks huh? wonderful.   Here I thought that things like 911 and Pearl Harbor had something to do with why we bomb countries. 

You have to admit that "freedom" is term whose definition is tricky when in America we celebrate the Cost of freedom ("tree of liberty... blood of patriots" and "Freedom isn't free" bumper stickers) and at the same time invade countries and "give"/force democracy on them and wonder why it doesn't take.

And when it comes to why we go to war, Self Defence, Retaliation, or "Whatever Reason We Invaded Iraq" aren't exactly the same as "Freedom."

I think the world's national anthem should be We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister.

TheBoost said:

Warbler said:

hairy_hen said:

... tossing about largely empty and ill-defined notions like 'freedom' while playing up arrogance and cultural superiority as justification for all kinds of horrible things.

 

... So freedom is an empty and ill-defined notion, and we bomb countries cause we think they have bigger dicks huh? wonderful.   Here I thought that things like 911 and Pearl Harbor had something to do with why we bomb countries. 

You have to admit that "freedom" is term whose definition is tricky when in America we celebrate the Cost of freedom ("tree of liberty... blood of patriots" and "Freedom isn't free" bumper stickers) and at the same time invade countries and "give"/force democracy on them and wonder why it doesn't take.

freedom does come at a cost.  Unfortunately, sometimes wars must be fought to preserve it,  WWII for example.   Freedom is certainly not an empty notion.

As for forcing democracy on countries,  iI can't say I'm too crazy about forcing anything on another nation but its better than a forced dictatorship.  

TheBoost said:

And when it comes to why we go to war, Self Defence, Retaliation, or "Whatever Reason We Invaded Iraq" aren't exactly the same as "Freedom."

 

never said they were, but the reasons we go to war are different and more complicated than the enemy having bigger dicks. 

Lot's of go-go juice (oil) the principle is the same.

I guarantee you that is not going to happen.  It's not my kind of music.