Image by Lady Madonna via Flickr
with Chris Hedges and Danny Haiphong
RT America on Aug 31, 2019
Host Chris Hedges talks with journalist Danny Haiphong about how the myths of American meritocracy and individualism are used to legitimize the accumulation of inherited wealth by the ruling elite class. Haiphong’s new book with Roberto Sirvent, American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A People’s History of Fake News – From the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror.
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by Howard Zinn
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Originally published July 3, 2010
crossposted at The Progressive (2006)
July 5, 2019
On this July 4, we would do well to renounce nationalism and all its symbols: its flags, its pledges of allegiance, its anthems, its insistence in song that God must single out America to be blessed.
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by William Blum
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Originally published July 5, 2010
July 4, 2019
Some thoughts on “patriotism” written on July 4
Most important thought: I’m sick and tired of this thing called “patriotism”.
The Japanese pilots who bombed Pearl Harbor were being patriotic. The German people who supported Hitler and his conquests were being patriotic, fighting for the Fatherland. All the Latin American military dictators who overthrew democratically-elected governments and routinely tortured people were being patriotic — saving their beloved country from “communism”.
Image by Fibonacci Blue via Flickr
by Christian Sorensen
Writer, Dandelion Salad
June 18, 2019
C.P. Sorensen on Jun 13, 2019
Welcome to the War Industry Muster. In this episode we analyze how people justify working for the U.S. war industry.
Image by rstrawser via Flickr
The Essays of The Man From the North by Rivera Sun
Writer, Dandelion Salad
January 20, 2019
If you really love your country, you would not be satisfied with platitudes and flag-waving, national anthems and military parades. A truly patriotic citizen does not sit idle as the land and waters of his country are polluted by extractive industries. A true patriot does not sneer and scorn her fellow citizens who live in poverty or are unhoused. A true patriot does not place higher loyalties with corporations than human beings. A true patriot sees no glory in war, nor security in spending more on military than on peace and justice for all of humankind.
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by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy, Oct. 23, 2018
October 25, 2018
Trump is for nationalism. So the “Resistance” is predictably for . . . wait for it . . . the right kind of nationalism — or nationalism worn properly, as The Week advises. The problem isn’t nationalism, The Hill informs us, it’s phony nationalism and spurious nationalism, or as the Washington Post explains along with CNN, the problem is actually white nationalism. Of course, white nationalism is a problem, but not just because it’s white — also because of the nationalism. Unless you read Esquire which comes up with the oh-so-novel pronouncement that nationalism is indeed bad, but patriotism is good.
Image by Elvert Barnes via Flickr
by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy
September 7, 2018
I went in search of anything the United States was number 1 in that it shouldn’t be ashamed of, and came up empty. But I did find that the United States is number 1 in believing it is number 1. So, that’s something.
Screenshot by Dandelion Salad via Flickr
Watch the video below
The Peace Report on Jun 28, 2018
“Canton, Ohio” speech made on June 16, 1918 by Eugene Debs. Eugene Debs made his famous anti-war speech in Canton, Ohio, protesting World War I which was raging in Europe. For this speech he was arrested and convicted in federal court in Cleveland, Ohio under the war-time espionage law. He was his own attorney. His appeal to the jury and his statement to the court before sentencing are regarded as two of the great classic statements ever made in a court of law. He was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison.
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by Finian Cunningham
Writer, Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from Sputnik
July 10, 2018
You can’t really blame Trump for treating European leaders with contempt. Frankly, it’s because they deserve it, and Trump knows it.
This week, the American president joins European allies at the NATO summit in Brussels, and the gathering is expected to be a bruising one. The Europeans are fearing a drubbing from Trump over financial commitments.
Image by rstrawser via Flickr
by William Blum
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Originally published July 5, 2010
July 3, 2018
Some thoughts on “patriotism” written on July 4
Most important thought: I’m sick and tired of this thing called “patriotism”.
The Japanese pilots who bombed Pearl Harbor were being patriotic. The German people who supported Hitler and his conquests were being patriotic, fighting for the Fatherland. All the Latin American military dictators who overthrew democratically-elected governments and routinely tortured people were being patriotic — saving their beloved country from “communism”.
Image by Lorie Shaull via Flickr
The Essays of The Man From the North by Rivera Sun
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Originally published May 1, 2017
July 1, 2018
For all the avowed patriots who demand my Pledge of Allegiance and salutes on Loyalty Day, Fourth of July, and other patriotic, militarized holidays, I fling this question to your hearts: how deep and far does your loyalty to your country run?
Image by Elvert Barnes via Flickr
by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy, June 15, 2018
June 20, 2018
We should be very grateful to Francesco Duina for his new book, Broke and Patriotic: Why Poor Americans Love Their Country. He begins with the following dilemma. The poor in the United States are in many ways worse off than in other wealthy countries, but they are more patriotic than are the poor in those other countries and even more patriotic than are wealthier people in their own country. Their country is (among wealthy countries) tops in inequality, and bottoms in social support, and yet they overwhelmingly believe that the United States is “fundamentally better than other countries.” Why?
Image by Nico Paix via Flickr
by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy
May 10, 2018
TheRealNews on May 9, 2018
Writer and activist David Swanson discusses his new book Curing Exceptionalism, with TRNN’s Ben Norton, exploring how American nationalism and the myth of US superiority is used to justify hyper-militarism and capitalist oppression.
Image by Jagz Mario via Flickr
by David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy
April 20, 2018
TheRealNews on Apr 19, 2018
Anti-war writer and activist David Swanson discusses his new book Curing Exceptionalism, and picks apart the chauvinistic idea that the United States of America is the greatest country on the planet.
Image by Melbourne Streets Avant-garde via Flickr
with David Swanson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Let’s Try Democracy, Jan. 23, 2018
January 29, 2018
RvTHEORY6 on Jan 22, 2018
David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. Swanson’s books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War. He blogs at DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org. He hosts Talk Nation Radio. He is a 2015, 2016, 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee.
