As a descendant of those bloody Brits your ancestors fought for your freedom and tossed out on their imperial asses, I can’t get too excited about July 4th, and, of course – being used to our Guy Fawkes night in the dark of November – I have to wonder about a firework-heavy holiday in the middle of the summer when it doesn’t get dark until eight or later, but with a bit of luck, and because I basically support any revolution on general principle, I’ll eat my share of whatever barbeque is offered without feeling like too much of a hypocrite. In the meantime let me quote the late great Howard Zinn…
“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. Is not nationalism -- that devotion to a flag, an anthem, a boundary so fierce it engenders mass murder -- one of the great evils of our time, along with racism, along with religious hatred? These ways of thinking -- cultivated, nurtured, indoctrinated from childhood on -- have been useful to those in power, and deadly for those out of power. National spirit can be benign in a country that is small and lacking both in military power and a hunger for expansion (Switzerland, Norway, Costa Rica and many more). But in a nation like ours -- huge, possessing thousands of weapons of mass destruction -- what might have been harmless pride becomes an arrogant nationalism dangerous to others and to ourselves." (Click here for more)”
Click here for Ginsberg and Waits
The secret word is Liberty
As far as I'm concerned, despite the oxymoron of conventional wisdom, my subversive perspective is that Americans (i.e. residents of the British colonies as well as current citizens of the 50 states) LOST the American Revolution, just like the South really won the Civil War. Slavery was abolished in Canada in 1834 and in the 21st Century Canada is a much more humane, non-militarist nation than its arrogant neighbor. While imperfect, they have universal health care and a parliamentary system that guarantees greater representation. And for all the hoser 'n' hockey jokes, they gave the world Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot and The Band.
ReplyDeleteI'm considering dropping by my local Canadian embassy and requesting political asylum, but I have a feeling I'd have to get on line.
You guys might like this.
ReplyDeleteAnything that might have been "great" about Zin he destroyed when he did a bit of skanky lefty gate keeping by saying who ever did 9/11 it didn't matter.
ReplyDeleteThe fucker was against 9/11 Truth. In my book that leaves him and his mate Chomsky without saving merit.