We explore whether American nationalism is a feature of American fascism or just a good healthy dose of collectivism. Topics include Reagan, Bush and Obama, The Flag, the pledge of allegiance, fascism, nationalism in the media and music, kids patriotic school songs, history class, Toby Keith, “Made in America”, the Superbowl and the might New England Patriots.
Listed below is my outline for the show. Don’t read it, it’s just for search bots and the like:
What is nationalism
The question: Do we have it, how much and does having it make the US more fascistic, especially when combined with our US economy and our militarism.
Gotta stop saying “our”
Why nationalism is useful to government
- The right, war, soldiering, fear, racisms, xenophobia
- The left, that we’re a herd or family, that some stranger has an obligation to me, or that some stranger has an obligation to me. border-orientated
North Korea, Germany, Russia
How nationalism is fostered
We historically see Nationalism as a tool of badness, at least from a libertarian perspective. At least, other people’s nationalism seems somewhere between silly to dumb to evil.
Nationalism as a divider, Nationalism as a unifier
Patriotism as a virtue
- Children and school
- My missionary hypothesis
American exceptionalism
Pledge of alleigence
Songs in school
History as government, presidents and just wars
Magic in the flag
Flags on homes
Holidays as a celebration of government?
Nationalism in media
T-shirts and merchandise
Pride in “Made in America”
Shoving “freedom and liberty” down our throats
What does our nationalism help enable?
- War and defense spending
- Fear
- Taxation
- Mandatory medicine
- Welfare
- Public education
- Immigration laws and restrictions
- Xenophobia
- The government
What if we got rid of it?
Things you can do.
Thoughts on the presidents recording (Bush’s libertarianism, the jack off party of bill Clinton
Superbowl