Nationalism /patriotism is a religion, where the country’s identity is a god
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.
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.
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.
The version tjey made me do also had “One nation indivisible under god” which is some racist theocratic bullshit.
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…
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.
The pledge in schools is relatively new, I think it was passed under reagan or something. Your grandparents weren’t doing it.