"Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind.
And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all the rights unto the leader and gladly so.
How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Cesar."
I love America but let's improve it geographically.
Trade Texas to Mexico for Baja California.
Allow Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to secede and and form a Southern Theocracy.....we tried folks but they don't want to join the 21st century. Come to think of it they rejected the 20th too.
Make a grand National Park out of Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. Deport most of the inhabitants of those States to the Southern Theocracy (they'll love it) and keep some of the more enlightened ones to administer the Park.
Annex British Columbia.....sure there will be some whining but it will settle down over time.
Thanks....you're on to something. The Yukon is a natural treasure and Alberta has a bit of the Rockies and a lot of oil shale. A number of Alberta residents, however, will be required to move to the Southern Theocracy.
Personally, i think NV should TAKE the east side all the way to lone pine- and give VEGAS to Cali since it is anyway. We will take alpine, mono, inyo counites and cali gets clark..
when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life
But then in 1777, there wasn't much else in England but London.
However, Dr Sam, seven years there and I would never ever live in London again.
Now, where we were, oh yes patriotism.
In 1974, a 17-year-old going on 18, looking to avoid the draft (veterinary school at University of Saskatoon, as I had studied two summer schools as a vet aide and worked for vets), but my family have been Americans since 1640, I couldn't do it.
So a long-haired anti-war teenager approaches the Marine recruiting sergeant in Concord (CA), looking to become a medic. They said that if you volunteer you had a better chance of choosing a specialty, than if you were drafted.
"We don't have medics, we use Navy corpsmen".
Oh, the Navy did not appeal to me. No offense to those that served in the Navy.
Also the comment about devaluing medals. One of my nephews received a Gulf War medal and the only thing he did was sit on a ship in the Gulf. A medal for sitting on a ship out of harm's way? He left the Navy as they were downsizing and he had a 'past' with crack.
Whereas my godson/nephew, who left the Marines a short while ago, two (seven-month) tours of duty in Afghanistan, a point man on patrol in 'regular' firefights...
So, though I believe Dingus is winding us up, is my nephew a patriot? And which nephew? The one sitting on his can in a can, or the one under fire?
Just cause a person served or didn't serve doesn't make you a patriot or a USA lover. Plenty of instances of immigrants from all kinds of places seem to love it more than a lot of native born folks. I knew a guy that went in to avoid jail (Train Robbery was the charge, but they were jacking stereos out of new cars being transported on trains back before they had them locked up well). The guys name was...wait for it, ....
....Jesse...heheh (AKA Jesse who was an actual relative of the outlaw Jesse James).
Preempting Piton Ron: Me below with incorrect fingering. (haha, I said it first!) It was only recently I learned that you shouldn't keep yer finger wrapped on the trigger all the time. I always figured you'd want it ready to spray and pray. Y else load all dem bullets in there.
Let us know!