General Discussion

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)

28. It's the sense of enforced patriotism that has me gobsmacked.

Mon Feb 8, 2016, 05:03 AM

Feb 2016

I might be interested in watching, or even attending a sports event. But does that mean I should have to stand at attention, pay tribute to our military, and sing the National Anthem? Really?

If I'm going to attend a sports event, I want it to be about the sport. Not about honoring our military -- all of whom have been volunteers for some decades now, I must point out, and many of whom have therefore willingly participated in our illegal and immoral wars. So I'm supposed to honor that? Really?

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When did the Superbowl become an exercise in enforced patriotism? [View all] SheilaT Feb 2016 OP

9/11/2001 WhaTHellsgoingonhere Feb 2016 #1

Oh, dear lord. SheilaT Feb 2016 #3

Clancey got there first Fumesucker Feb 2016 #8

Also, even before that, there was Frankenheimer's Black Sunday WillowTree Feb 2016 #14

Yup. Pretty much it. DanTex Feb 2016 #5

Oh, God. STILL??? kath Feb 2016 #21

"Patriotism is the passion of fools and the most foolish of passions." Arthur Schopenhauer Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2016 #2

Reminds me of the games in the Roman Coliseum. -none Feb 2016 #4

I stopped the stream for that bushwah bullshit. hifiguy Feb 2016 #6

It gets worse every year. I used to attend parties just to socialize and ignore the game. arcane1 Feb 2016 #7

I DVR it awoke_in_2003 Feb 2016 #53

"...an exercise in enforced patriotism..." Snobblevitch Feb 2016 #9

Yeah, good luck getting out alive when you dont stand davidn3600 Feb 2016 #11

I didn't stand and nobody is bothering me. Snobblevitch Feb 2016 #13

No, I'm home alone, lucky me, SheilaT Feb 2016 #15

What does Snobblevitch Feb 2016 #17

There is a strong sense of religion in the patriotism that's imposed in these things. SheilaT Feb 2016 #24

Who is 'enforcing' patriotism? Snobblevitch Feb 2016 #32

Agreed. ChairmanAgnostic Feb 2016 #35

it was choreographed like hopemountain Feb 2016 #29

There was a superb HBO Documentary on HBO some years ago malaise Feb 2016 #10

Sounds like something I'd like to watch. SheilaT Feb 2016 #16

This is it -- you might be able to find a torrent and/or stream RedFury Feb 2016 #18

Thank you. I hope I can find it. SheilaT Feb 2016 #25

Wow - you found it malaise Feb 2016 #30

It seems to be totally unavailable, even to buy on Amazon. SheilaT Feb 2016 #48

It's been done since WW2 davidn3600 Feb 2016 #12

If you are talking of sports in genereal yes nadinbrzezinski Feb 2016 #22

But nationalism and militarism are not the same thing malaise Feb 2016 #31

Yeah aswanson Feb 2016 #19

Oh, hell, it's always been this way hatrack Feb 2016 #20

This is not exclusive to the Superbowl nadinbrzezinski Feb 2016 #23

Super Bowl XXV Blue_Tires Feb 2016 #26

So.......you're not a sports fan....... WillowTree Feb 2016 #27

It's the sense of enforced patriotism that has me gobsmacked. SheilaT Feb 2016 #28

The Super Bowl is a 4 hour sporting event. Calista241 Feb 2016 #33

Nothing enforced about it leftynyc Feb 2016 #37

You don't have to do anything, even if you're personally attending the event. branford Feb 2016 #38

Bravo!! Exceptionally well said! WillowTree Feb 2016 #41

I have never been to any sporting event....... WillowTree Feb 2016 #40

No different from any other country hardluck Feb 2016 #50

On the plus side, Washington will never get to the Superbowl, so we're safe. Orrex Feb 2016 #34

Thankfully Dan Snyder is quite young, so it could be another four decades madinmaryland Feb 2016 #55

Since the NFL got paid by the military to hype it. Brickbat Feb 2016 #36

Then you would really hate NASCAR MindPilot Feb 2016 #39

Thanks for everyone's responses. SheilaT Feb 2016 #42

where have you been for the last 50 years? librechik Feb 2016 #43

It's that way for all the big pro sports in the country. -eom- HuckleB Feb 2016 #44

The Superbowl combines many things that I despise. I am a bad 'Murikin. Arugula Latte Feb 2016 #45

And the racist commercials and the ads referencing the civil war, WTF! Dont call me Shirley Feb 2016 #46

Pentagon pays for it. Octafish Feb 2016 #47

also who payed for the blue angels fly over? JanMichael Feb 2016 #49

Yep, since 9/11/2001. dchill Feb 2016 #51

I was at a party.. nearly everyone stood up with hand over heart mountain grammy Feb 2016 #52

If that wasn't at least an attempt to enforce SheilaT Feb 2016 #54

I thought it kind of weird.. I know all these people pretty well mountain grammy Feb 2016 #56