> This all a bunch of bullshit. Emma Goldman wrote a beautiful essay
> against patriotism. What difference does it make if she appeared on a
> stage with a flag? That is irrelevant.
I need no reminders of Goldman's views on the state. I've read a ton of her work, including her two-volume autobio, and suffice it to say she made clear distinctions between embracing freedom and pledging allegiance to groupthink, distinctions I've also made here and in various outlets over the years.
> Excuse me, but I explained to you yesterday why anarchists don't embrace
> the flag. Anarchists are opposed to the nation state, nationalism, and
> patriotism. In case you haven't gotten out much lately, most people
> associate the American flag with the American state. As it was pointed
> out yesterday, people aren't flying the flag because they want to show
> that they support the bill of rights or anything like that.
You bray into the mirror, friend. Again, I need no lessons from you on what "anarchism" means. And how do you know what is going through the minds of those who display the flag? I've spoken to quite a few "average" folks about it over the past weeks, and the inspirations for display are various, if at times nebulous. Your single dimension is showing again, Chuckie.
> That's funny, when I listen to jazz or rock n' roll, I never think about
> patriotism, the American flag, or even America. I also don't associate
> film noir or other interesting aspects of pop culture with America(tm).
> I don't know, it sounds like you've been watching some shallow Ken Burns
> documentary on "Anarchism." Either that, or you've gotten a
> one-dimensional Warner Brothers version of it.
Then you must not listen to Louis Armstrong, who made this connection rather clear (choosing the fake birthdate of July 4, 1900 for added symbolism). Nor have you read the thoughts of Charlie Parker, a quiet intellectual who revered much of the American experience, despite its racism. Then there's Elvis, the Beach Boys, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Howlin' Wolf, among many others. And how about Jimi Hendrix's version of "The Star Spangled Banner"? When asked if it was a protest version of the song, Hendrix replied, "It just sounds beautiful to me."
How you can disconnect such unique American forms from America itself is mind-boggling, but consistent with your single-dimensional take on reality.
> Chomsky is hardly a cheerleader for America. Given what he has
> documented about the American state's terrorism around the globe, I
> think he would agree that a good society probably won't develop from the
> current American system.
Wrong. He states, and has stated repeatedly, that the US is the most open system in the world, and that the best prospects for human freedom exist here. Sorry, pal.
> BTW, Chomsky also thinks that sports are stupid. I listen to sports
> radio all the time and I listened to the baseball playoffs last night,
> but since 9/11 I have to agree with him that sports are stupid. I had to
> accept this shortly after 9/11 when the *host* of a show on ESPN radio
> was calling for Afghanistan to be nuked. They only reinforce patriotism
> and other dysfunctional stuff in society.
Save it. I wrote a book about this very topic, and go much deeper into the mania and tribalism of modern sports fans than you can possibly imagine. As for Noam, he doesn't hate sports in general. Indeed, he takes his grandson to Red Sox and Celtics home games.
> I guess I'll stick with the unamerican sports like hockey and soccer.
Given the tribal mindset of the majority of fans for these sports (especially soccer), I can't say, having read your rants, that I'm terribly surprised.
DP