For God, King & Country ; One People, One Flag, One Leader ; etc, etc, etc
We've seen how very well whipping up jingoistic, divisive types of patriotism serves the purposes of politicians over the last 150 years. Indeed, quite recently it's proved effective in Africa & Eastern Europe alike.

Unfortunately, the politicians’ success came at the price of many lives, the maiming of more, the destruction of much hard-won human, social & natural infrastructure, and left a legacy of hate & distrust for generations to come.

The style of "patriotism" that this government and its backers want to drag us back to, along with attitudes to worker-employee and family relations, the intrusion of divisive sectarian versions of religion into politics & reviving forms of social Darwinism disguised as "free trade/enterprise" or "social responsibility" is, surely, closer to the nineteenth century than the 1950s.

Historians remember the huge upheavals of that century as laying the foundations of the terrible twentieth century destruction.

Why would even “elites” risk repeating that devastating cycle, especially now humanity's destructive power and its burden on the planet's systems has become so much greater? Is it some fanatical religious or ideological belief, or just some nihilistic lust for temporary power, and "après nous le déluge"?

[see also post 'Flag-waving' and Lessons from a War Memorial, above]

[permalink][comment] - posted by Mez @ 6/23/2004 04:38:00 am