The (Flag) Burning Question

I raised this topic several years ago on Facebook, and it created quite a bruhaha. Though it is incendiary — figuratively and quite literally — recent events tell me its time to revisit the subject.

Freedom, protest, and the burning of the American flag.

What is the REAL meaning of the freedom we have here in America? The freedom so many have died to protect. The freedom our forefathers built from scratch by putting forth the then novel and un-heard-of concept that all men are created equal.

It's clear to me, and very sad, that far too many people simply do not really understand American freedom. It has become lost in a rising tide of nationalistic fervor, a fervor that has exactly nothing to do with real patriotism. It is a sham and a show, a contest where you "prove" you are more patriotic than me by singing the national anthem louder, doing the pledge of allegiance repeatedly, or hugging the flag like an idiot. None of those things make you a patriot. Standing up for the rights of ALL Americans, whether you agree with them or not, THAT'S patriotism.

I said this back in the day, and I say it again here: the American flag BEGS you to burn it. The very fact that you are allowed to burn it without legal consequence is the very strength of that flag. Burn it, tear it, pour acid on it, whatever, the promise of freedom that it holds cannot be diminished. And the flag, or more accurately, the IDEAL of the flag, survives.

A flag burning, kneeling at a football game, or any other kind of peaceful protest is the most American of things. It is NOT a protest AGAINST America (or perhaps more accurately, the CONCEPT of America), and it does NOT dishonor the men and women who died defending that flag. That right to peacefully protest is exactly WHAT they were defending. Such actions are (generally speaking) a protest against the current government and (whatever) actions they have taken with which you disagree. As an example, the hippie protests against the Vietnam war were not a protest against the troops out there doing their duty. They were against the government that sent them there to die for no good reason. This does not diminish their service or sacrifice in any way.

When protests such as these are NOT allowed, when you are jailed for expressing such opinions, well, that's the moment Democracy has died. Welcome to Russia.

Now let me be clear: I am NOT in support of burning the flag nor am I suggesting this is something I would EVER do. No. What I am saying is that if YOU want do burn the flag, the flag itself is a symbol of your right to do just that without being punished by the government. Try that it Russia and you will wind up in a jail cell for a very, very long time. That is the opposite of Democracy. This is a concept that even people in Congress (looking at YOU, Marjorie Taylor Green) apparently do not grasp.

Same thing with flying the flag upside down, as so many Trumpsters are wont to do these days. Make no mistake: this is also a desecration of the flag done in protest of a government with whom they disagree. I don't particularly like that, either, but I will defend your right to do it to the death, unless you happen to be a SCOTUS justice, looking at YOU Samuel Alito, in which case you have just tarnished the High Court and your position in it and should be removed.

There you have it. A brief lesson in freedom.

The Four Quadrants

 In my view, there are four quadrants of Trump supporters. Some are very dumb, some are not. To wit...

1. The Rich People (Smart)
2. The Poor People (Dumb)
3. The Religious Leaders (Smart)
4. The Religious Followers (Sheep)

The Rich People

It's easy to see why the wealthy and the big corporations would support Trump and throw cash at him. These are the SMARTEST people involved in this whole mess. These people know Trump is going to do two things that will help them:

1. Lower taxes on the wealthy
2. Eliminate government regulation

There is no debate that Trump will lower taxes on the rich and continue the Reagan-esque policy of "Trickle-Down Economics," which history has unequivocally proven to not work. Just look at the huge increase in income inequality during the period since Reagan held office. It's really quite astounding. As he told his membership at Mar-a-lago when he first did the tax cuts for the rich, "You all just got a lot richer." 

This same group is diametrically opposed to all regulation. Why? Because it costs them money. Never mind that it saves lives, protects the environment, protects workers, etc., so on and so forth. If it costs them money, they are OUT. If elected, Trump most certainly WILL destroy all the government institutions that are there to protect YOUR dumb ass. Do not fall for that bullshit about it saving money. That's what he said when he eliminated the pandemic response team. How did that work out for over a million Americans? Government is not a profit-making enterprise. It is about serving the people. What did Trump ever do that end? Nothing, that's what.

This group of people are in the "Smart Sector" of Trump supports. They know when they are doing and are quite methodical and patient about it to a scary degree. And they are taking advantage of the other three quadrants. They know their policies will NOT help any of these people, but they are extremely adept at convincing them to vote against their own interests.

The Poor People

This group has simply been brainwashed by over 40 years of lies and misinformation from the only news source they trust and follow, Fox News, an entity already convicted of flat-out lying, and entity who's defense in that case was that "no sane person would think that what we do is news." This is what they have watching their entire lives. There is no way anyone could come out of that without being devoid of any real knowledge of the world we live in.

This group cannot tell the difference between fact and fiction, nor the difference between fact and opinion. They are being used the first group, a group who knows how to stir people to anger, and knows their audience is not smart enough, or perhaps not paying enough attention, to see that they are being fleeced and lied to.

This group does not truly understand the meaning of American freedom nor patriotism. They are blinded by nationalistic appeals to those concepts, such as NRA messaging, the whole "cowboy/tough guy" image put forth by Republicans since the Reagan era, and finally, by disinformation that "coincidentally" happens to make Russian messaging.

Imagine that.

The Religious Leaders

These folks might be the scariest bunch of them all, for several reason. First of all, they KNOW what a bad guy Trump is, but they don't care. They are willing to manipulate their minions to help elect a career criminal, sexual abuser, non-Christian, lying low-life scumbag because he agree to support their agenda to help turn the United States into a Chirsto-fascist country. They have basically come out and said as much.

But make no mistake: he is using them as much as they are using him. Trump doesn't not care about their issues, doesn't believe in god (note that he has basically NEVER been inside a church unless the appearance benefitted him politically), and simply want to garner the voting block so he can regain power and free himself from all criminal culpability -- while of course enriching himself at the same time.

These people have bludgeoned their base of sheeple with the concept of "faith" for so long, that they are now willing to do the bidding of a virtual madman because church leaders are telling them it's the right thing to do, that god demands it of them. And they use the issue of abortion as the wedge to drive these morons.

There is no such thing as "after-birth abortion." It simply does not exist. And any late-term abortions that are done happen because a severe health crisis endangering either the mother or the child is present. Take note: Banning abortions after six weeks is basically banning abortion. Most women have no clue they are pregnant at that stage, so a post-six-weeks ban would force them to carry a child they do not want. It's disgusting. Your religious views of this can kindly take a hike: abortion is HEALTHCARE, and Trump and these idiots are taking away women's rights.

Also, these morons are eagerly looking forward to "the rapture," the event when the world ends in fire. Excuse me for being worried, but if a guy like Trump has his hands on the nuclear button, the danger of a nuclear event goes up exponentially, and these clowns will be HAPPY about that, as they will then have the opportunity to meet their Sky Fairy. Do you REALLY want people in power who are eagerly looking forward to the end of the world? Sounds like a really bad idea to me!

This group are also rich people who have managed to find biblical rationale for them to be wealthy, fly private jets, but luxury boats, cars and houses while their "flocks" live in poverty. They are button-pushers who, like the first group, are expert at manipulating their minions into doing their bidding, often at their own peril.

The Religious Followers

These people are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to brains and deductive reasoning. They have been so brainwashed by their (mostly) corrupt leadership that they will do literally anything the Religious Leaders tell them as long as it has god wrapped around it. They are driven by a blind faith that should frighten any sane human being. 

This is the same type of person who collectively managed to put Adolph Hitler in power and look the other way as he ravaged Europe, their own Germany in particular, and the Jewish people. They are easily blinded to reality because their misguided concept of "faith" makes them trust their leaders without question.

They are the ultimate Machiavellian crowd. The end (a Christian nation) justifies the means (destroying our Democracy) because it is the "right" thing to do. And they believe they get to decide what "right" is for the rest of us, you know, the "elite" and "educated" people.

Though a lot of these folks live in trailers in the south, there are many, many of them in the north, too, living in ordinary suburban homes with crosses everywhere. They believe that because they attend church on Sundays (or whatever day they attend), they have righteousness on their side, and they are "good people."

Of course they believe that. They are told that by their church leaders every time they get together with them.

This group is the epitome of the movie Idiocracy, which in retrospect, looked very, very predictive. Yes, this scares the crap out of me.

Stay strong, elect a Democratic administration or suffer the consequences. VOTE.