It is the relentless crusade by extremist politicians - particularly neocons and Republicans to keep the offshore torture facility and concentration camp at Guantanamo Bay open for business and the flag flying high over all of the heinous and barbaric acts that have been inflicted upon those imprisoned there. But more importantly, to keep it open until the political climate is just right to start sending American citizens and political dissidents there - which will be soon.
It is a country as steeped in backwards ass religious fundamentalism that rejects science, free thinking and basic human dignity just like their mortal enemies who practice fundamentalist Islam. There is really very little real difference between the two and our American "Christians" will delight in engaging in their own waves of cruelty and atrocities when the time comes.
It is Dick Cheney having rough anal sex with an inflatable statue of liberty love doll, after he tortures it of course.
And most of all it is ignorance and hypocrisy but such inconvenient things are easily washed away by the holy water of American exceptionalism and the adherents to this dogma frolic naked in those waters as though they were lepers splashing away in the fountains at Lourdes.
And it is all horseshit, faux patriotic upchucking and a dishonor to all of those who died in wars for "those freedoms" that are so exalted - at least the wars prior to when the USA!, USA!, USA! went totally rogue shortly after World War II and eventually cut a bloody swath through Vietnam before ending up in Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond. So happy f*cking Fourth of July! Have a beer and just try not to think about reality.
Those who are nauseated to the spectacle of the cheap veneration of the flag as somehow being the symbol for this country rather than the ideals upon which it was founded can take some solace that the US soccer team was knocked out of the World Cup on Tuesday for the national air of hero worship would be intolerable were there to be a match today or tomorrow. Hell, it used to be that American's didn't give a rat's ass about soccer - it was for sissies, real men after all play football. But the outpouring of nationalism at huge World Cup viewing parties this year is really more than just being about soccer - it is about opening that can of American whup-ass and pouring it out all over any other country that lies outside the borders and that is what our recent explosion of soccer mania really is when you strip away the star spangled facade. The losers did get a glorious consolation prize when they were honored by the Pope of American exceptionalism - President Barack Obama who scored in the public relations game by calling selected members of the losing team to congratulate them after the game.
So it could be worse.. but it is a damned good day to drink heavily, especially since this year it fell on a Friday and tomorrow isn't a workday.
And all of that stuff about the Founding Fathers and the Declaration of Independence, when you take a good look around none of it really matters much anymore does it?
[7/5 - edit to correct formatting error on word "naive" in Mencken quote]
(Article changed on July 5, 2014 at 15:08)
(Article changed on July 5, 2014 at 17:07)
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