American Freedom, and Jingoism.

[Nephtys]

Reading that recent thread on the Flag-Burning Constitution and it passing in the house (again) and having a good chance in the Senate... it made me think. You know, destroying the flag harms nobody directly, and is free speech to make a political statement domestically. You may offend people, but it is covered under our 1st Amendment previously.

Now, especially on TV and in public speaches, the word 'Freedom' and 'Liberty' are tossed around like any other term, a way to hook people for votes. Appealing to emotion over whatever atrophied reason centers most people have today. Too many people seem to assume that still, America are the only 'Good Guys' and 'White Hats' in the world, country of Freedom and Liberty, despite many other nations being equally 'free' in all effective usages of the term.

So then, do you think our use of Liberty and Freedom are more jingoism, or a kind of national catchphrase? Have those two ideas become just a political tool to sway support?

[Lord of the Abyss]

So then, do you think our use of Liberty and Freedom are more jingoism, or a kind of national catchphrase? Have those two ideas become just a political tool to sway support?

Unfortunately, yes.

No one in a position of authority talks about such concepts and means it, and the American public seems almost totally blind to this. It's diffilcult to have a rational conversation with many people on the subject, because they are unwilling to admit that America is anything other than The Greatest Country In The World in all ways.

That makes it hard to discuss America's flaws, like eroding civil rights or whether or not invading Iraq and Afghanistan really improved the locals freedom.

Also, the constant use of the words "Freedom" and "Liberty" for political purposes cheapens them. If Freedom refers to fries, then how important is it, really ?

[Zero]

Freedom and liberty are just generalities that politicians toss around to make themselves seem like the better candidate. In terms of modern usage of the worlds, neither mean anything. When a politician tells you that he wants to protect your freedoms, he doesn't probably mean anything, and is just as likely to take away your freedoms in the name of 'freedom' and 'liberty' to give himself more power. It is just jingoism, and an emotional appeal, as we're all taught that America-the-great was founded on liberty and freedom, and that these are very good things, even if they're rough to define.

[Dalton]

It's turned into jingoism these days. Bush loves to toss around words like "liberty" and "freedom" while at the same time his administration put laws into effect like the Patriot Act and Bush himself is considering a gay marriage amendment.

IMO, just a smokescreen to inspire nationalism while our rights are slowly eroded.

[Surlethe]

So then, do you think our use of Liberty and Freedom are more jingoism, or a kind of national catchphrase? Have those two ideas become just a political tool to sway support?

I think they have been jingoistic and a catchphrase for as long as there has been America, and because of that, I feel they've been cheapened. If I had my way, they'd be used like I use the word "love": never, unless it's really, really meant.

[Uraniun235]

So then, do you think our use of Liberty and Freedom are more jingoism, or a kind of national catchphrase? Have those two ideas become just a political tool to sway support?

Most people, when they say "you have liberty/freedom/what-have-you", are really thinking "you have liberty to live the way I think people ought to live"... so when someone proposes such laws as a ban on flag-burning or a ban on abortion or a ban on guns, they shrug their shoulders and think "well gee, I don't do that sort of thing, and I don't like it, so it's not taking away my freedom... and I live a good life, so there must not be anything wrong with this law."

What it really comes down to is the perpetually short-sighted nature of humanity.