We set aside all pending responsibilities to be certain we would be in front on the TV to watch this game, but almost before we could change the channel, the United States had scored. Then scored and scored and scored. Our gesticulating and screaming frightened the dogs almost as much as the fireworks from the previous night. When Carli Lloyd kicked that fifty-four yard goal we lost our minds. Has anyone ever seen a kick like that before? Maybe the NFL could polish their tainted image by hiring the first female field-goal kicker. Going in to the match, we didn't even know the players names, but we do now. Carli Lloyd, who had struggled in earlier matches, scored the fastest goal ever and had the first hat trick in World Cup history. Aptly named goalkeeper Hope Solo won the Golden Glove award for allowing only three goals in seven games. The US Woman's Soccer Team is the first to win three World Cups and get payback for Japan's World Cup victory win in 2011. What an inspiration this must be for young girls everywhere and for woman's sports in general. People used to criticize soccer for a lack of action- not any more.
Truth be told, I felt a lot more patriotic on the fifth of July than the fourth. I watched all the usual festivities and squirmed through Lee Greenwood singing "I'm Proud To Be An American" for the thousandth time, but I don't participate any more because downtown Memphis on the fourth of July is no country for old men. But we still ate hot dogs with relish, both literally and figuratively, and as it turns out, it wasn't necessary to go downtown at all. The continual massive explosions around our neighborhood made us feel like we were right in the middle of the fireworks display. The family pets turned into mad-dogs alternatively howling at the ceiling or trembling in fear. There was a meme going around on social media that said that on the fourth of July, the citizens of Memphis can play their favorite guessing game- is it fireworks or gunshots? I feel that Independence Day, like Halloween, is just another opportunity for grown people to get drunk and run wild. Is this the way we demonstrate patriotism? What those women did on that soccer field, playing for their country, was patriotic. The soldiers who serve us and the families that support them are patriotic. Blowing up shit is not patriotic.
In full disclosure, I'm not much of a patriot. Samuel Johnson in 1775 and Bob Dylan in 1983 said "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel," and I tend to believe them. Most of the patriotism I had was kicked out of me during the Vietnam War era when we had a paranoid-schizophrenic president who refused to listen to legitimate protests or admit that he was wrong. I didn't feel very proud to be an American back then. When Nixon's conservative "Silent Majority" hijacked both what it meant to be patriotic, and the American flag as symbols of the divisive "my country, right or wrong" sentiment, the flag turned into a pro-war symbol or a bumper sticker indicating loyalty to the administration. It was then when I realized that you can separate love of country with whomever happens to be in power at the time. Politicians use patriotism for their own cynical purposes, so it's illogical to pledge allegiance to a transient regime with an ideological agenda. I can simultaneously love my country while opposing the politics of those who would use patriotism like a cudgel. But after that incredible victory in the World Cup, I have found something to be patriotic about- devoid of war, politics, or division- just joy. That group of women did their country proud, which is something we can all relish.
Ludor wants to know:"We set aside all pending responsibilities", that's a joke, right?
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with your comment on separating the love of country from whichever bogus administration is in power. Both political parties (actually all governments in the world) are enemies of 'the people'. If they blow humanitarian smoke, it is just a subterfuge to continue bankrupting us and to acquire more power over us...which is the name of the global political game. If you don't already know, here is the master game plan. The global political goal is to subject the world and its people to a high-tech ranch, called by various names such as a scientific dictatorship, a scientific technocracy, scientific corporatism, or global Marxism. Those terms all are the same. To form this global ranch, the Global Oligarchs (Money Power, Super-Capitalists) first had to eliminate America which was the biggest impediment to their goals. That has been accomplished. All that's left is the mop up. There is a move afoot to form what will be 10 regional governments. The E.U. was the first, the North American Union will be next, others will follow. When up and running, these regional governments will interface forming a world government, now more commonly called the New World Order. This is being accomplished by Big Money in cooperation with the UN and world governments, including our own.. The blueprint for the future Marxist world government is contained in the UN's Global Agenda for the 21st Century, better known as Agenda 21, along with the UN Biodiversity Agenda. These are well underway beneath the radar of the common folk. First they are implementing a plan to control energy and water usage in every home. The first installment is currently underway with the Smart Meters. What most don't know is that following this they will be installing Smart Thermostats which will interface with the Smart Meters providing energy control to each home from a central command. Smart Water meters will follow and by the same principle allow the control of water usage from a central command. This is just the beginning. To cut to the chase, the end goal is to force, through economic measures people out of the rural areas and suburbs into highly densely populated habitation centers, called by some vertical cities. You can Google for more info on this. The plan is to return about 80% of the land of each continent to pristine wilderness...zero human encroachment. The human habitation zones (vertical cities) will comprise the remaining 20% of land space. All resources, including all human behavior, will be highly monitored, including population which will be reduced by billions...too many people stressing the environment and limited resources. They will be getting rid of the world's 'useless eaters'...pull your own weight or you will be eliminated. Like I said at the beginning, basically the Earth's resources and all human (read cattle) behavior will be managed like a very high-tech ranch...or prison. All of this can be verified through a bit of research and study. This is no conspiracy theory. It is already underway. It will take a while to make all of this manifest, but the agenda is for the 21st century. So, it will obviously take a while to fulfill the agenda. Knowing these things enables one to connect the dots more intelligently on a global basis and to escape from the Elephants vs the Donkeys bull. The game is WAY larger.
ReplyDeleteWant to escape from the Matrix? Read some unfiltered history, especially in regard to power geopolitics. Unfiltered history is a jaw dropper and will change one's world view...guaranteed. A good starter book in Power Geopolitics 101 is A.K. Chesterton's 'The New Unhappy Lords'. Here is a PDF link...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jrbooksonline.com/PDF_Books/The%20New%20Unhappy%20Lords.pdf
The word 'conspiracy' is now mainly used in regard to the 'tin hat' brigade and their fascination with UFO's and reptilian genes in humanity, etc. In the geopolitical sense, what was called conspiracy a few years ago is now an open conspiracy. The conspirators don't care to remain hidden (with the exception of groups like the Bilderbergers, etc.), because now they know that they can't be stopped. In fact, they are now 'in your face' with their shenanigans. You Lefties will like much of it because it confirms many of your contentions about America's underhanded political crimes. But, the bad boys are a consortium that is trans-national. They have used America a lot, but they use other governments also to execute their global plans. Catch on to this and you will be forever cured of the Donkeys vs the Elephants game. That is just a distraction.
Here is the End Game. It will not be Communism, or any other -ism. It is called Technocracy. National governments will cease to exist, as will all politicians. There will only be highly computerized, technocratic control centers. All resources and all human behavior will be strictly controlled. This is upon us and beginning to materialize. For more details and understanding, read 'Technocracy Rising' by Patrick Wood. Read the article at the end for a taste of what is in store. Ultimately, all people will be living in Smart Cities which will take up about 20% of the Earth's land mass. The other 80% of the land will be returned to nature. This is all an outgrowth of UN Agenda 21 and its 'kissing cousin' the UN Biodiversity Assessment. I think even the Lefties will wind up missing freedom. They will realize at some point that they have just been dupes of the Money Power which is behind all of this. http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/21313-smart-cities-to-spy-on-you-in-ways-orwell-never-imagined?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=7411821700-The_Editors_Top_Picks_3_12_143_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8ca494f2d2-7411821700-289786713
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