[extropy-chat] my country, right or wrong

[Samantha Atkins]

On Dec 15, 2005, at 9:34 PM, The Avantguardian wrote:

>
>
> --- Alan Brooks <albrooks2006 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> I can clearly remember being told in kindergarten
>> about forty five years ago of how "a real man will
>> lay down his life and serve his Country"-- right or
>> wrong; the situation hasn't changed all that much
>> since then. We're inching forward like snails and
>> it's time to admit it.
>
> But "my country, right or wrong" cuts right to the
> heart of the hypocrisy of the ruling the class. When
> it comes to unilateral military action using
> tax-payer's money, they invoke nationalism and the
> need to "protect our borders" with much flag waving
> and hoopla. But when it comes to whittling down their
> overhead by offshoring precious American jobs
> overseas, they invoke globalism.

Can't agree with you here.  Globalization is not just about "making  
the rich richer".  It also has real benefits for all of us AND for  
people in the other countries that some of the commodity jobs go to.

> "Those Chinese people
> need to eat too don't ya know, it's a global economy
> now."

That is a fact.  It is a global economy.  This is a good (although  
often disruptive) thing.

> So the simple truth of the matter is the
> financial elite want their cake and to eat it too.
> This is a particularly bitter pill for me to swallow
> since I served in the military like I was told a "real
> man should".

What does your falling for such a manipulation have to do with the  
issue?  Hmm.  What exactly was/is the issue anyhow?

> I don't remember seeing any trust fund
> babies with me in my fox-hole in Panama during the
> reign of Bush the First.

Well of course not.  But this is an argument that should be pointed  
against bloated government rather than against those who have more  
money than you (or I).

- samantha