[scaredyclassic]

Has there ever been a tv production about heroes of the Vietnam war? How would people feel about acts of extreme sacrifice and bravery just as the war was ending? Would you want your kid sticking his neck out to kill a few more Viet Cong as the war is winding down in its final hours or would that seem illadvised or perhpas insane even if the individual act were extremely selfless and heroic?

Is heroism and self sacrifice really something to be celebrated in a vacuum?

Not saying much heroism and sacrifice isn’t worth it. just worth thiking about what we put it all on the line for.

[scaredyclassic]

I mean, heck forget the war on drugs—there are probably thousands of heroic acts every year on misc subjects. Why not have a celebration and celebrate all the individual heroes?

Then it really wouldn’t be about race war politics or economics.

But this ain’t that.

[scaredyclassic]

I used to know a cop, former dea agent, paralyzed in a very brave drug raid. I’m sure there are thousands of extremely brave and heroic cops and civilians who gave their lives or like my acquaintance something less in the war on drugs.

But if we had a celebration of all the individual stories of heroism and sacrifice in the war on drugs, it would be to most depressing wouldn’t it? And the reason why is because for many the war on drugs is a pointless failure that has eroded civil liberties, targeted minorities, and generally moved society in the wrong direction.

It would be extremely difficult to separate the powerful stories of individual heroic sacrifices in ghe war on drugs from the actual war in drugs. That’s how I see 9-11; the individual stories are part of a larger narrative and it’s difficult to celebrate individuals without thinking of the bigger picture.

Perhaps that’s not manly.

And if my kid gave his life protecting some fellow cops by taking a bullet from a drug dealer? I’d say it wasn’t worth it.

Analyzing the specific heroic acts on the day of 9-11 in a vacuum is in some ways like analyzing the acts of cops and civilians acting heroically in the war on drugs.

I just can’t see it.

[scaredyclassic]

guantanomo bay.

and yeah, a hell of a lot of anti-muslim sentiment.

[scaredyclassic]

one last stab at keeping my mancard; i love heroism as much as the next guy, have occasionally acted selflessly, but haven’t had an opportunity to put it all on the line. All males with testosterone love tales of bravery and heroism and like to see themselves as heroes or potential heroes. and if that is what commemorating 9-11 was about, I’d have no problem with it.

But the essential narrative does not seem to be one of individual bravery and triumph.

i guess we are all free to celebrate it as we see it.

but to say it has nothing to do with war or race or religion? sorry…I’d have to ignore reality to really believe that. Or even economics–it’s the twin towers the heart of capitalism.

here’s a sick thought; people were ok with wall street in 01. what if the attack and the wall street deaths occurred arounda time when hatred toward wall streeters was running much higher?

[scaredyclassic]

Hate crimes against Muslims were relatively minimal pre 9/11. Now they constitute 10 percent of all hate crimes while Muslims are one percent of the population.

I don’t see 9/11 as a celebration of heroism. But I don’t have a tv. Maybe I’m missing the point.

All I can remember is it’s use for anti heroism–fear mongering–terror alerts–senseless hypervigilance–the “patriot” act.. And the herding of americans to docilely surrender civil liberties with the understanding that we must trust the government —leading inexorably to wars with no reason with no end in sight as vengeance for perceived wrongs.

That’s not heroism and if it is, I voluntarily surrender mh mancard because I don’t want it. I’d rather be womanly I guess and oppose war, as women generally do throughout history.

Bravery and selflessness and national cohesiveness just don’t seem essential to

[scaredyclassic]

What do we mean when we say “we will always remember”?

[scaredyclassic]

There is value to forgetting and letting go. No one under age 65 gets worked up over pearl harbor, do they. Like, never forget, watch the sneaky japs, that kind of thing?

Never forget kind of implies an eternal grudge.

[scaredyclassic]

Not sure what the point if all the memorialization is. That we should be more war like?more paranoid than we are about terrorism? I mean what’s the takeaway message? Is it just the number of dead? It’s really a rather small number compared to automobile deaths or Iraqi civilian deaths. Not sure what it all means.

I’m not saying don’t defend against terrorism. Just well jeez, is this what’s going to define the empire for the remainder of it’s existence? If some Irish terrorists hit l.a are we going to have to bomb Ireland back to the stone age and then rebuild it?

I guess so.

Seems to give terrorists more power and significance than they merit.

Why all this remembrance?

[scaredyclassic]

you guys should check out the show WILFRED on fx, avail on hulu.

i just got back after a horrific day at magic mtn and have been laughing really hard tonite at this show. it’s dark, it’s hilarious and it’s about a dog.

[scaredyclassic]

If you have a veggie garden in the front does that mean u cannot afford it? If you drink cheap gon does that mean u can’t afford it. If you don’t use a/c does that mean u can’t afford it. If u wear cheap suits off eBay made in china does that mean u can’t afford it?

Or does it mean yer just thrifty.

what’s the point of having parking spots if they’re not used.

[scaredyclassic]

Damn I used to park in front of the nighbors all the time. We had too many cars. No wonder they hated us.

[scaredyclassic]

Greek defaulted or Creek defaulted?

[scaredyclassic]

If life is too short not to be happy would it be acceptable to be miserable if we could extend our lifespan?

[scaredyclassic]

the endgame is de facto default, right, on all this debt, by inflation? can it be otherwise? it’s just, well, what route do we take to get there…

[Author]

Posts