I’m Surrounded by Idiots
July 7th, 2008 | by Jet Netwal |
“As the Fourth of July approaches, six in 10 of those surveyed in a USA Today/Gallup Poll say sporting an American flag pin indicates that a person is patriotic, one of a half-dozen actions that most say reflect a love of country.” - Political Wire
It’s fucking bling, people! Love of country and patriotism is shown by the way you CONDUCT yourself. Bumper stickers and lapel pins are little Chinese made trinkets you can buy at any Wal-Mart. Slapping a Santa pin on a Jewish guy does not a convert make. Personally, I could give a rat’s ass who wears what on their lapel; the last time I checked, the freaking suit coat won’t be leading the country, the person wearing it will. That jacket? That pin? Stuck in a dark closet somewhere.
Bling. Good grief. Let’s at least try to look like we have minds.
20 Responses to “I’m Surrounded by Idiots”
By Dusty on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Its not patriotic..its massive nationalism. One of the finer points of Fascism I believe.
By Paul Merda on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Excellent point Jet!
Dusty, I agree - nationalism does not equal patriotism…
By Tom Harper on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
This blog I was looking at (I forget who it was) really brought home how absurd this whole thing is. He was joking about getting an American flag tattoo on his forehead. Then he could walk up to the rightwingers and say “What, you don’t have a flag tattooed on your forehead??? Where’s your patriotism? Why do you hate America?”
By Jet Netwal on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
60%… boggles the mind.
By Dusty on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Sheeeeple Jet..
By Jet Netwal on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Mark of the beast, Tom?
By Steve O on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
I have an American flag tattooed on my arm. Did I just raise the level of Patriotism a notch?
It’s actually very sad that a national symbol has been highjacked. Soon we’ll be like England where normal citizens do not fly the Union Jack outside there homes becasue it is considered racist.
It’s already happening because I used to fly my stars and stripes very proudly from my house, I took it down a few years ago because I refuse to be associated with facists in this country. I’m sure I’m not alone.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
I’m sympathetic to your point, Jet, but I’ve got a few picayune comments that don’t really contradict your ultimate point, with which I tend to agree.
Symbols, bling included, have meaning. Bling, if I understand the concept correctly, has come to symbolize the rise to success of blacks into the ranks of conspicuous consumerism, an ostentatious show of wealth. So to call a cheap, made in China American flag lapel-pin ‘bling’ is, in part, totally inaccurate. Being cheap, it fails to meet the requirement of ‘bling’, namely of being insanely expensive and, thus, beyond the ability of most to afford.
But at least flag-pins and bling share one characteristic: they are symbols beyond what they are in and of themselves. Just as bling symbolizes (what at least at one time was) a uniquely black expression of ostentatious wealth and status, American flag pins symbolize America itself, not only its people and lands but its mythology, its struggles for freedom, the blood spilled in those struggles and, finally, for freedom itself and wearing said pin, in its purest, non cynical, form DOES mark the wearer as one who loves his country.
Now, granted, it is true that any America-hating schmuck can purchase and wear an American flag lapel-pin and his wearing it would be meaningless, a charade, a deception but that wouldn’t rob the pin of its symbolism and meaning. The only purpose of an America-hating schmuck putting on such a pin and carrying on such a charade would be to pull the wool over the eyes of Americans who have too much respect for the flag and its symbolism to imagine its wearer being anything but sincerely in love with his country.
So then, while I agree that there is nothing of true patriotism that is inherent in merely wearing an American flag lapel-pin, I don’t think those 60 percent are idiots. They are unimaginative, perhaps. They are so enamored of their country and of the flag she flies that they cannot conceive of any American not thinking and feeling the same way about the country symbolized by that flag that one wears upon one’s lapel.
By Dusty on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
So all it takes to be considered a patriot is for someone to wear a damn flag lapel pin and 60% of Americans will be taken in by it..nice.
They might not be stupid Craig, but they are gullible as hell.
By Lazarus Long on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Dusty:
When you consider most (60%) people in this country could not name their Senator, Congressman, or childs teacher BUT
Know the characters on Survivor, Wife Swap (no where near as good as it sounds)or the stats for their favorite NASCAR driver, gullible is probably as close to accurate as you can get.
By Jet Netwal on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Craig, I used bling to mean “worn to show off”. I was refering to the intent of wearing, not the gaudiness of the item itself. Obviously a Flavor Flav clock and a lapel pin are not in the same price point.
Dusty, gullible as hell sums it nicely. Right up there with the “most like to drink a beer with” mentality.
Brains people. Use them.
By steve on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Damn… and those idiots with the American Flag within their blog’s logo.
By Jet Netwal on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Okay, now THAT? Was funny.
By Lisa on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
To be a true patriot you have to believe that in 2020 the earth will be destroyed by Global Warming unless an asteroid gets us first.
By Jet Netwal on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Great point, Lisa! 86% of Americans do think Global Warming is happening while probably 14% think we need to start WWIII (preferably with Iran) and drive the US economy full speed into a Depression by continuing to follow the failed Bush policies.
By Lisa on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
Of course they believe in Global Warming it Jet it’s a vast right wing conspiracy.
And while going into this depression the left will have everyone convinced our top priority is to tax businesses and strugling families higher for Global Warming no matter those consequences.
Believe it is man made or not we will never be able to change the climate. That alone is the biggest farce.
I wonder how this would have played out if we were facing another ice age.
By Lisa on Jul 7, 2008 | Reply
How ironic how things have been getting worse since the dems took control of the congress. Just wait to they control everything then we’ll see just how it will be when they McGovern this country.
By Jet Netwal on Jul 8, 2008 | Reply
Funny how when Republicans assume control from the Dems, all the problems they have to deal with are leftover from the Dem’s management, but when the Dems take over from the Reps, all the problems magically manifest only from that moment forward. Republican denial is just plain silly. Cause and effect is not a new concept.
Again, Brains. Use them. Today.
By Lisa on Jul 8, 2008 | Reply
Jet do you remember when the republicans took over the congress how good they made Clinton look?
By Lisa on Jul 8, 2008 | Reply
And as usual got no credit for it.