Why is it that we call any soldier a hero? Should we? What about a young hooligan picked up by military recruiters in front of a shopping mall, and brought to Iraq to fight an illegal war? Is he automatically a hero? Obviously not. I am not saying that there are no military heroes, but I find calling all soldiers heroes to be inadequate...
The hero cult is part of a huge military propaganda machine serving power hungry individuals and institutions.
What about patriotism? Now... this is a very sensitive cord, and I'll strike it anyway because someone has to. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having strong feelings for your compatriots and for your homeland. But we need to realize that behind this phenomena of shared compassion and devotion lies a very potent mechanism of control. Hyped patriotism linked to some clear goals means increased peer pressure to align with these goals. George W. Bush played the patriotism drums very well to gather support for his wars, calling anyone against the war unpatriotic, which is socially diminishing that person.
Why is it that Americans put their flag on the graves of their loved ones? I traveled all Europe, Canada, Mexico,... I've never seen that before... Are Europeans less patriotic? Do they have weaker feelings for their country and their compatriots? I don't think so, I was born in Europe, I know it. It's also very rare to see a European house garnished with a national flag, In the US this is very common.
Is there a link between the hero cult and the look of american homes and cemeteries? Is America unhealthily over-patriotic? I am just asking the question....
some village on the 3, between Carthage and the interstate 81
