Patriotism GOP Style

Hello Papamoka Readers! I would like to point out again just how blind Republicans are to their own hypocrisy. We all know how Republicans refuse to acknowledge their own guilt in government, especially when it comes to lies, war profiteering, debt spending and ignoring the rule of law, but they also refuse to acknowledge their own anti-Americanism.

Democrats have endured being called unpatriotic and unAmerican for years. I call it the "patriot card," since it's kind of like the "race card." Republicans play it all the time, and have adopted the tactic as a specialty within the party. It's one of their favorite blunt instruments used to pummel everyone who's not Republican, including independents and the politically neutral-by-nature, into seeing the left-wing [or any non-Republican] as bad for America. It sounds crazy, but it's true.

The real irony is that Republicans are openly threatening to our government all the time, especially lately, and their methods are often blatantly unpatriotic, if not worse. I'm shocked the way Democrats ignore it. Why don't we learn from the Republicans and start calling those REPUBLICANS UNAMERICAN, or ANTI-AMERICAN, since they are, and it's effective. Allow me to start by saying that RUSH LIMBAUGH IS ANTI-AMERICAN and UNPATRIOTIC!

Republican leaders have been casual with their remarks lately about how they want President Obama to fail. Limbaugh has been their torch bearer. The Republicans have not only been unpatriotic, they've been downright treasonous. Yes, there have been many Republicans in the media suggesting treason. Sean Hannity even posted a poll on his website offering his viewers the opportunity to choose how they would start a new revolution, and every option included a violent overthrow of some kind. So let's say it together: SEAN HANNITY IS TREASONOUS!

Would they allow Democrats to get away with the same kind of unAmerican speech? NEVER!! They would have been screaming bloody murder by now. They would have used the "patriot card" to CRUSH and discredit the Democrats - both the media and the leadership. WAKE UP DEMS, for this is what Americans care about! This is how they create impressions about OUR leaders. We need to point out their hypocrisy and their evil intent. The Republicans have been talking trash so we need to TAKE OUT THE TRASH!

What can we do to help? Let's point out - whenever possible - just how unAmerican and unpatriotic the Republicans are these days. Let's start calling them out when they try to undermine the government and our elected leaders. Let's use the "patriot card" to discredit THEM. You never know, it may ultimately lose some of it power, like the "race card," and fade away. That would be a great day.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

Obama and McCain on Patriotism

Over at Parade Magazine they have written pieces by both Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama on what they believe Patriotism is really all about. You can read the respective stories here:

John McCain on Patriotism

Barack Obama on Patriotism

My first impression after reading both articles from the respective Senators is that Senator McCain delegated the written work out to a staffer. Throughout the piece you get the feeling that the Senator lives in the past and in all the things that were once great and very much Patriotic. For the record I have never questioned his patriotism to America. We don’t live in the past and as far as I know, the founding fathers did not fight the Revolutionary War for bragging rights. Telling people about the past is nice but we live in a time where the future is much more important than the past and the American experiment that Jefferson and Adams believed in has changed just a bit.

His one political jab against Senator Barack Obama was this one sentence from the above referenced article; “ Patriotism is deeper than its symbolic expressions, than sentiments about place and kinship that move us to hold our hands over our hearts during the national anthem.” In this one sentence is where I find political hackdom and not the real John McCain writing the piece. This was a direct slap at Senator Obama for his decision for not wearing his flag pin for months concerning his choice to not support the Iraq war. Mind you, most of the people in the Senate and the House were pissed that Bush lied to all of them and were stuck with a John Kerry flip flop debate. You know, I was for it before I was against it but I’m strongly against it now sort of thing.

When McCain speaks of talking to Veterans I have to laugh out loud. Every bill that came up in supporting Veterans he voted against because his conservative base does not want to pay the bills for the wounded Veterans that they proudly send to war. Wave the flag but screw the poor bastards that come home wounded. Yes, he has been to Walter Reed numerous times but he did nothing till the Washington Post broke the story wide open. He waves the flag of patriotism but he said it himself, they come home to hard times. His words not mine, and his Senate votes have not been on the side of Veteran’s for years.

As for Senator Barack Obama’s piece in Parade Magazine I thought it was not staffed out. It was to damn personal not to be. When he talks about his Grandfather and his days in Hawaii you can see that he was raised to be a good man by experience. When you read Senator Obama’s words you get the feeling of looking forward and not back. Forward is the direction our nation must face and he described best in this one line from his piece in the above referenced article; “ In the end, it may be this quality that best describes patriotism in my mind—not just a love of America in the abstract, but a very particular love for, and faith in, one another as Americans.”

In that one sentence he summed up what he is all about as an American running for President. It isn’t about him, it is all about you. Just as John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson had a dream of a better America for generations to come, documented those dreams, fought for those dreams, these founding fathers set a precedent that is not understood by many. In that sense Barack Obama has patriotism down pat and does not need a lesson from anyone in any political circles including yours truly.

Papamoka

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