this post was submitted on 05 Nov 2024
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US Authoritarianism

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Hello, I am researching American crimes against humanity. . This space so far has been most strongly for memes, and that's fine.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Nationalism /patriotism is a religion, where the country's identity is a god

[–] idunnololz 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

"make [god] great again"... Hmm it checks oot

[–] hOrni 20 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Did You watch John Oliver recently? When You get American citizenship, they make You listen to a god awful, pro American song while waving tiny American flags. This shit is so cringy.

[–] BlitzoTheOisSilent 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The play God Bless the USA when you complete Battlestations at the end of Navy bootcamp. There's a projector and slideshow while everyone is standing in formation, receiving their "Navy" ballcap, officially becoming a sailor.

Looking back... Yeah, it was cringe af.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah, but most folks are too tired to actually give a shit. They're just waiting to get it over with so they can go to bed.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

This is definitely the only memory I have of it, yeah. Brightly lit room after running hither and yon across base all night.. and being too tired to give a shit what was going on..

[–] finitebanjo 19 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The version tjey made me do also had "One nation indivisible under god" which is some racist theocratic bullshit.

[–] samus12345 15 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The "under god" BS was added in 1954. It was never intended to be there because it's obviously a violation of church and state. Gotta show we're not like those godless commies!

[–] tortina_original 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

When i left my ex-communist country for greener pastures, many years ago, one of the biggest shocks was learning about "lobbying".

What we backward peasants from communism considered plain corruption, was perfectly legal and normal in the USA. Less so in Western Europe, though. Not only normal but seems to be one of core means of getting into power (and holding onto it), whether it is business or politics. Mind you, I never lived in the USA but based on everything I see/hear that is absolutely the case.

I am still flabbergasted by it...

[–] masquenox 8 points 2 weeks ago

What we backward peasants from communism considered plain corruption, was perfectly legal and normal in the USA.

The purpose of propaganda is not to convince people of this and or that.

It's purpose is to make people not see the obvious.

And the US is far, far more successful at that than the USSR could ever have hoped to dream.

[–] DarkCloud 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

The pledge in schools is relatively new, I think it was passed under reagan or something. Your grandparents weren't doing it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago

That's not relatively new; it's about 20% of our entire existence, with multipliers for technology gains.

This country is young, and we have been heavily propagandized for decades.

[–] bunkyprewster 9 points 2 weeks ago

They made me do it back in the 1960s. I remember learning they added "under God" during the McCarthy red scare days

[–] FlashMobOfOne 12 points 2 weeks ago

Yes, and in hindsight, it's pretty disgusting stuff.

Especially considering everything they withheld from me about our history, trying to tell me it was the plague that killed off native people, when in fact it was slavery, war, murder, and torture. Or the times when white mobs destroyed black towns, such as in Tulsa. Or the time when cops and soldiers bombed labor agitators trying to get better working conditions. Or, my favorite, the battle for Blair Mountain.

It's 100% indoctrination, and I'm glad I like to read history books as an adult or I'd have no idea.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

I always sat it out, because even Russia doesn't make you do that crap.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Not only that, but they made the children in Special Education sing “I’m Proud to Be An American” (as if that’s all they have) instead

Reading this as an American (who voted) living in Denmark—where all those things are covered—hits hard…

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

One of the few things that are good about growing up Jehovah's Witness. Never did the pledge, and I don't think I could recite it from memory if you asked.

[–] AnUnusualRelic 1 points 2 weeks ago

It's fairly close to a cult, it's a civil religion.

[–] CaptPretentious 1 points 2 weeks ago

I was probably 5th grade when I stopped pledging. I really thought about it, like what I was saying and realized I didn't agree with it. Like, that's what you do when you're an adult going into the armed services. Not something you should be forcing kids to do. And that's not even including the "under god" crap.

[–] masquenox 1 points 2 weeks ago

Always has been.