Comments on: Armistice Day http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/11/12/armistice-day/ Reality-based political commentary Fri, 22 May 2026 05:45:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Michale http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/11/12/armistice-day/#comment-29694 Michale Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:51:36 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=6540#comment-29694 <I> Anyway, if "Real Americans" must have an enemy to help them unite, better that it be me than someone who's put at risk of literal violence or incarceration by the designation and the resulting policies.</I> We appreciate your sacrifice on the altar of solidarity... :D Michale..... Anyway, if "Real Americans" must have an enemy to help them unite, better that it be me than someone who's put at risk of literal violence or incarceration by the designation and the resulting policies.

We appreciate your sacrifice on the altar of solidarity... :D

Michale.....

]]> By: dsws http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/11/12/armistice-day/#comment-29663 dsws Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:10:49 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=6540#comment-29663 Meanwhile back in the present, http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/novemberdecember_2012/features/the_conservative_war_on_prison041104.php?page=all Supposedly, some right-wingers are changing their tune about tough-on-crime, now that the Democrats have been struggling to outspend them on cops and prisons for an entire generation. I'm cautiously optimistic, sort of. The old bogeyman, conjured up <i>"when Richard Nixon artfully conflated black rioting, student protest, and common crime to warn that the “criminal forces” were gaining the upper hand in America,"</i> is giving way to a new one made of godless, love-your-enemy, science-reading, latte-drinking eggheads. In other words, people like me. Except that I don't actually drink coffee. Anyway, if "Real Americans" must have an enemy to help them unite, better that it be me than someone who's put at risk of literal violence or incarceration by the designation and the resulting policies. Meanwhile back in the present,
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/novemberdecember_2012/features/the_conservative_war_on_prison041104.php?page=all

Supposedly, some right-wingers are changing their tune about tough-on-crime, now that the Democrats have been struggling to outspend them on cops and prisons for an entire generation. I'm cautiously optimistic, sort of.

The old bogeyman, conjured up "when Richard Nixon artfully conflated black rioting, student protest, and common crime to warn that the “criminal forces” were gaining the upper hand in America," is giving way to a new one made of godless, love-your-enemy, science-reading, latte-drinking eggheads. In other words, people like me. Except that I don't actually drink coffee. Anyway, if "Real Americans" must have an enemy to help them unite, better that it be me than someone who's put at risk of literal violence or incarceration by the designation and the resulting policies.

]]> By: dsws http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/11/12/armistice-day/#comment-29647 dsws Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:33:40 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=6540#comment-29647 WWI was certainly seen as horrific beyond parallel. But that's because Europeans were fighting Europeans directly on their own soil again, instead of competing to subjugate non-Europeans as they had been for a few decades. Poison gas is horrible. But so are being burned to death, broken on the rack, crucified, killed over a few weeks by radiation poisoning, and so on. Gas wasn't used on the battlefield in WWII because it wasn't very effective militarily. It was used in Auschwitz. WWI was certainly seen as horrific beyond parallel. But that's because Europeans were fighting Europeans directly on their own soil again, instead of competing to subjugate non-Europeans as they had been for a few decades.

Poison gas is horrible. But so are being burned to death, broken on the rack, crucified, killed over a few weeks by radiation poisoning, and so on.

Gas wasn't used on the battlefield in WWII because it wasn't very effective militarily. It was used in Auschwitz.

]]> By: db http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/11/12/armistice-day/#comment-29643 db Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:39:37 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=6540#comment-29643 "WWI was large, and all war is hell. But as wars go, WWI was relatively decent." No. The squalor. Poison Gas (even Hitler didn't go that far. Why? He'd seen it first hand). Millions dead. And let's not forget the Influenza epidemic that killed millions. The post-war sense of futility and meaningless-ness. If the technology of WWI did not allow the massive destruction of Strategic & Atomic Bombing; it wasn't for lack of trying. If the ideology of WWI did not require the extermination of "inferior races"; the despair & destruction of WWI was the initial cause in the rise of Fascism & Nazi-ism. You didn't even have to be on the losing side. Italy "won" WWI. The ultimate indignity was the way the returning Soldiers were treated. The WWII "G I Bill of Rights" was a direct result of the lack of such for the returning Doughboys. "WWI was large, and all war is hell. But as wars go, WWI was relatively decent."

No.

The squalor. Poison Gas (even Hitler didn't go that far. Why? He'd seen it first hand). Millions dead. And let's not forget the Influenza epidemic that killed millions. The post-war sense of futility and meaningless-ness.

If the technology of WWI did not allow the massive destruction of Strategic & Atomic Bombing; it wasn't for lack of trying. If the ideology of WWI did not require the extermination of "inferior races"; the despair & destruction of WWI was the initial cause in the rise of Fascism & Nazi-ism. You didn't even have to be on the losing side. Italy "won" WWI.

The ultimate indignity was the way the returning Soldiers were treated. The WWII "G I Bill of Rights" was a direct result of the lack of such for the returning Doughboys.

]]> By: dsws http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/11/12/armistice-day/#comment-29636 dsws Tue, 13 Nov 2012 01:42:28 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=6540#comment-29636 <i>I was brought up to respect and honor the flag, but not to treat it as a sacred object. "Sacred" is in the realm of religion. The flag is not a religious item, therefore "sacred" is a word which just cannot apply.</i> I infer that you don't have a totalizing religion. If you saw the entire universe as the expression of God's being, there wouldn't be anything profane. Of course, neither do I. -- Does the American flag belong equally to people who don't believe in nationalism or patriotism? -- WWI was large, and all war is hell. But as wars go, WWI was relatively decent. More soldiers died than civilians. Hardly anyone even tried to commit genocide. -- I remember <i>Dulce et Decorum Est</i> from high school. I didn't think WWI was particularly forgotten. Now the thirty years war, that's forgotten by Americans. I was brought up to respect and honor the flag, but not to treat it as a sacred object. "Sacred" is in the realm of religion. The flag is not a religious item, therefore "sacred" is a word which just cannot apply.

I infer that you don't have a totalizing religion. If you saw the entire universe as the expression of God's being, there wouldn't be anything profane.

Of course, neither do I.

--

Does the American flag belong equally to people who don't believe in nationalism or patriotism?

--

WWI was large, and all war is hell. But as wars go, WWI was relatively decent. More soldiers died than civilians. Hardly anyone even tried to commit genocide.

--

I remember Dulce et Decorum Est from high school. I didn't think WWI was particularly forgotten. Now the thirty years war, that's forgotten by Americans.

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