electro-music.com   Dedicated to experimental electro-acoustic
and electronic music
 
    Front Page  |  Radio
 |  Media  |  Forum  |  Wiki  |  Links
Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
 FAQFAQ   CalendarCalendar   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   LinksLinks
 RegisterRegister   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in  Chat RoomChat Room 
go to the radio page Live at electro-music.com radio 1 Please visit the chat
poster
 Forum index » Reviews, Editorials and Commentary » Commentary and Editorials
U.S. Department of Peace
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Page 3 of 8 [197 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
Goto page: Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Next
Author Message
kkissinger



Joined: Mar 28, 2006
Posts: 1353
Location: Kansas City, Mo USA
Audio files: 41

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

elektro80 wrote:
Makes me wonder what certain US citizens really mean by the term patriotic. Shocked


Unfortunately, concepts such as "patriotism" and "supporting the troops" and "fighting terrorism" etc... have been hijacked by the right-wing. There is an attitude that one who does not vote with the right-wing is "for the terrorists", "against our soldiers", and "down on America".

While I believe that one can love one's country and have one's own opinions, the notion of free thought is under attack here in the USA.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
elektro80
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

kkissinger wrote:

Unfortunately, concepts such as "patriotism" and "supporting the troops" and "fighting terrorism" etc... have been hijacked by the right-wing. There is an attitude that one who does not vote with the right-wing is "for the terrorists", "against our soldiers", and "down on America".


So I guess a U.S. Department of Peace is hijacked already by the gunslingers? Shocked Sad

_________________
A Charity Pantomime in aid of Paranoid Schizophrenics descended into chaos yesterday when someone shouted, "He's behind you!"

MySpace
SoundCloud
Flickr
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Kassen
Janitor
Janitor


Joined: Jul 06, 2004
Posts: 7678
Location: The Hague, NL
G2 patch files: 3

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

mosc wrote:

Give me a break. Cocaine was removed from Coca Cola years before WW II. There was never much in the first place, but it was completely removed by 1929.


I didn't know that. I had asumed there would be cocaine in those bottles because the usage of cocaine adiction to create dependance is as typical for US forgein policy as carpetbombing is. I stand corrected on that count. It's quite surprising to me they didn't.

You didn't adress the other points in that paragraph, can I asume you agree on those?


Quote:
Many of the creative people in Hollywood during the 30's and 40's were Europeans who fled Hitler's rise to power. Most were liberals who used the movies to fire up American emotions to get involved in the war. Hollywood IS European.


I know that, of cource Hollywood wasn't about a new and independant US culture, it only had to create the *perception* of a US culture amongst US citisens.

Quote:
Racism, hatred, violence, colonialism and militarism seem pretty much to be a big part of European culture. Maybe erosion is good. Wink


I agree. However, European culture also has other elements beside those. The US media that keep flooding us have NO discernable other elements aside from the odd practice of keeping your pants on while copulatating.

Have you ever watched Dutch TV or visited a Dutch mainstream video store?

Quote:
There is nothing good that can come from exaggeration and degrading other people. Europeans should know this as well as anyone else.


Absolutely! The German Nazi's were very much typical Europeans. So were the inolved Americans, aside of cource from the soldiers of African decend but putting those int he places where thye were likely to get killed was quite European as well.

What I'm saying is that though there was a military conflict with germany on one side and the US on the other there was also a ideological conflict. I felt you were implying a few posts back that the world had the US to thank for winning the last while they were only involved in the former and the idological conflict didn't end in 1945 at all.

In fact it's my opinion that while Germany as a country lost on WWII Nazism as a ideology won and was the largest victor.

I'm not putting down just the people from the Americans, I feel both the average American and the average European is living right now in exactly the way that Hitler would've wanted. Many of the countries became like the Nazi's over the cource of WWII, some had to wait a little more before they could get in on the genocide game themselves. The outcome and aftermath of WWII *was* a disaster and continues to be so and what I'd like to know is why you think it would have been a larger disaster without US involvement.

You're mistaking what I'm saying; for sure I'm putting the US down I think it's a fashist state but I feel the exact same about many European countries. My own country stoped being a democracy years ago and is increasingly open about this to it's citisens.

In a way we're all Nazi's.

_________________
Kassen
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Kassen
Janitor
Janitor


Joined: Jul 06, 2004
Posts: 7678
Location: The Hague, NL
G2 patch files: 3

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

elektro80 wrote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriotic


I know what the word means, the question wasn't about that, the question was about "what certain US citizens really mean by the term patriotic."

Kinda like a friend of mine (he's almost two now) currently use the Dutch word for "red" to indicate he's pointing at something or perhaps to indicate a bright colour (I'm not sure). He says "rood" so often it's losing it's meaning in conversations with him.

_________________
Kassen
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
elektro80
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Kassen wrote:
elektro80 wrote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriotic


I know what the word means, the question wasn't about that, the question was about "what certain US citizens really mean by the term patriotic."

.


I know you know and yes Very Happy , but the wikipedia entry is kinda amusing because the implications are... well.. you have probably noticed already...

_________________
A Charity Pantomime in aid of Paranoid Schizophrenics descended into chaos yesterday when someone shouted, "He's behind you!"

MySpace
SoundCloud
Flickr

Last edited by elektro80 on Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:24 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Kassen
Janitor
Janitor


Joined: Jul 06, 2004
Posts: 7678
Location: The Hague, NL
G2 patch files: 3

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

elektro80 wrote:

I know you know and yes Very Happy , but the wikipedia entry is kinda amusing because the implications are... well.. you have probably noticed already...


Yeah, I find this especially interesting;

Quote:
Governments promote an official patriotism which has a high symbolic and ceremonial content. It is a logical consequence of the state itself, which derives legitimacy from being the expression of the common good of the political community.


Do modern countries realy still have a true "common good" and a "political community"? I think what those two mean is at the very least evoling rapidly over the last centrury. It stands to reason that "Patriotism" will have to evolve as well.

_________________
Kassen
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
mosc
Site Admin


Joined: Jan 31, 2003
Posts: 18195
Location: Durham, NC
Audio files: 211
G2 patch files: 60

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Kassen wrote:
You didn't adress the other points in that paragraph, can I asume you agree on those?


That would not be a great assumption. I don't feel the need to agree or disagree with everything that is said.

Unlike our President, I don't think complex things are either 100% good or evil. This includes even the Nazis, and the terrorists responsible for 9/11, and Bush himself. I do think it's a stretch to say that Nazism won even though Germany lost the war, but it is a viable opinion. Super highways, Volkswagens, jet and rocket engines, etc. seem to be more German than Nazi. The Nazis didn't invent propaganda or genocide, but they were really good at it.

While the US is not 100% good, it seems to me the world is better off that they didn't remain neutral in the European war.

Sometimes being neutral is appropriate. Right now, what about Darfur?

_________________
--Howard
my music and other stuff
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address
Kassen
Janitor
Janitor


Joined: Jul 06, 2004
Posts: 7678
Location: The Hague, NL
G2 patch files: 3

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

mosc wrote:

While the US is not 100% good, it seems to me the world is better off that they didn't remain neutral in the European war.


Ok, I get that, but *why* do you say so?

What exactly is the disaster you were talking about that was averted by the US? How was it averted? I'm honestly curious because I have no idea at all what you are talking about.

I don't realy look at the parties as devided on a good<=>evil scale. I think most parties and fractions can be placed on a selfish<=>gullible line though.

_________________
Kassen
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
mosc
Site Admin


Joined: Jan 31, 2003
Posts: 18195
Location: Durham, NC
Audio files: 211
G2 patch files: 60

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Why?

Would you rather Holland be ruled by Nazis, or, under your best alternative, Stalinists?

_________________
--Howard
my music and other stuff
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address
mosc
Site Admin


Joined: Jan 31, 2003
Posts: 18195
Location: Durham, NC
Audio files: 211
G2 patch files: 60

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Kassen wrote:

I don't realy look at the parties as devided on a good<=>evil scale. I think most parties and fractions can be placed on a selfish<=>gullible line though.


Where do you put yourself on that scale?

_________________
--Howard
my music and other stuff
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address
elektro80
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Kassen wrote:
mosc wrote:

While the US is not 100% good, it seems to me the world is better off that they didn't remain neutral in the European war.


Ok, I get that, but *why* do you say so?

What exactly is the disaster you were talking about that was averted by the US? How was it averted?


Understanding history is a concept which really does not completely compute. As to the why stuff happens, the reason is often buried in time and won´t really make as much sense now as it did then.


The valid policies at the time would indeed suggest that the US would involve itself in a war in Europe. The guy who was up the creek was Roosevelt who promised the voters that there would be no more wars like the Big One.

In retrospect it seems like a series of accidents unleashed what we think of as World War II and the outcome was just as accidental.


But.. which disaster did the US avert? It depends on what you mean by disaster, but obviously the US involvement changed the outcome of the European war. The war ended a year or four earlier than expected.
The US contributed a lot to the destrcution of german cities, but chances are that the Bomber Command would have torched all major german cities. US involvement meant that the the large industrial targets could be targeted. British policies at the time supported the idea that factories need workers and workers can be killed. It was british strategies the US adopted later in the war.. and also in Vietnam. Firebombing Tokyo? Nagasaki and Hiroshoma? These would be very typical british acts of war.

Hitler´s death camps would also have been far more effective had they been kept in business for say 4 more years.

_________________
A Charity Pantomime in aid of Paranoid Schizophrenics descended into chaos yesterday when someone shouted, "He's behind you!"

MySpace
SoundCloud
Flickr
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
mosc
Site Admin


Joined: Jan 31, 2003
Posts: 18195
Location: Durham, NC
Audio files: 211
G2 patch files: 60

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

elektro80 wrote:
It was british strategies the US adopted later in the war.. and also in Vietnam. Firebombing Tokyo? Nagasaki and Hiroshoma? These would be very typical british acts of war.


I guess the British might have gotten the idea from the Germans, don't you think? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blitz

_________________
--Howard
my music and other stuff
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address
elektro80
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

And yes, Stalin would have not stopped his european tour in Berlin..
_________________
A Charity Pantomime in aid of Paranoid Schizophrenics descended into chaos yesterday when someone shouted, "He's behind you!"

MySpace
SoundCloud
Flickr
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Kassen
Janitor
Janitor


Joined: Jul 06, 2004
Posts: 7678
Location: The Hague, NL
G2 patch files: 3

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Firstly the rulership of holland;

I think the statement that Holland wasn't ruled by Nazi's after the war is very much open for debate. Did you know that during the war parts of the Dutch royal family secretly negotated with the Nazi's about resuming leadership of a Nazi-Netherlands after the war? Fair; they weren't formally members of the Nazi party during their rule but at least you can say they wouldn't have objected in the slightest.

Anyway, it's a very hard question. Ethically I feel slightly more affinity with Communism then with Capitalism but in practice it turned out to suck just as much. Communism had nicer clothes and architecture, Capitalism has nicer food. I'm torn on this topic. I think that the people that lived under Communist Eastern Europe have a tendency to say they were better off then then they are now but you have to wonder wether that might be a exageration and if not (I think they may well be right) wether that would also aply to the Netherlands (probably not). If it would be possible to choose for real I think I'd take a gamble on Communism over the current situation but that's idle talk since I have no choice and as I mentioned; I don't even get to vote.

About that scale; I think I'm roughly in the middle with regard to most political situations, probably edging towards the gullible side in social matters and definately towards the selfish side in technical matters. I tink I'm most definately more "Evil" then "Good" on the scale of the sort of person who likes scales like that, and I'm fairly content about that.

Can I now please hear about the disaster that would have happened and that was worse then what we got?

_________________
Kassen
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
elektro80
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

mosc wrote:
elektro80 wrote:
It was british strategies the US adopted later in the war.. and also in Vietnam. Firebombing Tokyo? Nagasaki and Hiroshoma? These would be very typical british acts of war.


I guess the British might have gotten the idea from the Germans, don't you think? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blitz


I see, but no. The actual ideas of taking out populated areas predates WWII and must be seen related to how the British Empire did its business in the colonies. Also please consider that this new vision of modern air warfare was seen as the only way to prevent trench warfare. You should look up the Trenchard school.

I have some british instructional material here somewhere. Pretty chilling.

_________________
A Charity Pantomime in aid of Paranoid Schizophrenics descended into chaos yesterday when someone shouted, "He's behind you!"

MySpace
SoundCloud
Flickr

Last edited by elektro80 on Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Kassen
Janitor
Janitor


Joined: Jul 06, 2004
Posts: 7678
Location: The Hague, NL
G2 patch files: 3

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

elektro80 wrote:
And yes, Stalin would have not stopped his european tour in Berlin..


Right and my central point is that THAT is why the US got involved and that the US involvement wasn't at all about the Nazi's and how evil they were from a US perspective because *they weren't*. Untill Stalin's offensive forced the US to fight Hitler it was pritty cool for the US elite to be members of the US Nazi party and in the mean time a nice sum could be made selling weapons to the UK.

The whole US-Nazi opposition on supposed ideological ground came quite late in the game and the ideological side was bolted on in a way that makes the search for WMD's in Iraq look sensible.

_________________
Kassen
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
elektro80
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Kassen wrote:
elektro80 wrote:
And yes, Stalin would have not stopped his european tour in Berlin..


Right and my central point is that THAT is why the US got involved and that the US involvement wasn't at all about the Nazi's and how evil they were from a US perspective because *they weren't*.


Well, I tend to think this is not a completely valid concept. Please consider how events were understood at the time.


trivia:
see the timeline for december 1941:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_World_War_II

Also consider how a war of this scale between superpowers will kill access to raw materials and markets. The US had no other option ( considering what the US was at this time ) other than play the game and hope for the best.
A reason to worry was also that analysts started to understand that the 3rd Reich would not be reliable trade partner. There was simply no way that a Nazi Festung Europa would mean good business. By 1942 many german industrialists were seeing this as well.

_________________
A Charity Pantomime in aid of Paranoid Schizophrenics descended into chaos yesterday when someone shouted, "He's behind you!"

MySpace
SoundCloud
Flickr
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
elektro80
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

But, by summer 1944 it was something else. By this time the US had reliable and conclusive intelligence that the Stalinist war machine was far stronger than expected.
_________________
A Charity Pantomime in aid of Paranoid Schizophrenics descended into chaos yesterday when someone shouted, "He's behind you!"

MySpace
SoundCloud
Flickr
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Kassen
Janitor
Janitor


Joined: Jul 06, 2004
Posts: 7678
Location: The Hague, NL
G2 patch files: 3

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

elektro80 wrote:

Well, I tend to think this is not a completely valid concept. Please consider how events were understood at the time.


Well, at what point would you say then that the average US citisen started to see the Nazi's as "evil"?

Quote:

Also consider how a war of this scale between superpowers will kill access to raw materials and markets. The US had no other option ( considering what the US was at this time ) other than play the game and hope for the best.


Absolutely. What I'm aiming at here is that US neutrality would predominantly have been a disaster for the US itself.

_________________
Kassen
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
seraph
Editor
Editor


Joined: Jun 21, 2003
Posts: 12398
Location: Firenze, Italy
Audio files: 33
G2 patch files: 2

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Kassen wrote:
Communism had nicer clothes


Shocked

arrow http://www.rkka.ru/iuniform.htm

Rolling Eyes

_________________
homepage - blog - forum - youtube

Quote:
Don't die with your music still in you - Wayne Dyer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
elektro80
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Italian uniforms
_________________
A Charity Pantomime in aid of Paranoid Schizophrenics descended into chaos yesterday when someone shouted, "He's behind you!"

MySpace
SoundCloud
Flickr
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
seraph
Editor
Editor


Joined: Jun 21, 2003
Posts: 12398
Location: Firenze, Italy
Audio files: 33
G2 patch files: 2

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

it is known that Italians have nicer clothes than Nazis and/or Commies Idea
_________________
homepage - blog - forum - youtube

Quote:
Don't die with your music still in you - Wayne Dyer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
elektro80
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Kassen wrote:
elektro80 wrote:

Well, I tend to think this is not a completely valid concept. Please consider how events were understood at the time.


Well, at what point would you say then that the average US citizen started to see the Nazi's as "evil"?.


From the point they were told that the nazi´s were evil!
Laughing

Not quite true.

The US press was a bit psychotic at this stage, but I think you might want to visit a library and check out large US newspapers from say 1935-1942. You´ll be amazed. In more than one way.. Shocked

_________________
A Charity Pantomime in aid of Paranoid Schizophrenics descended into chaos yesterday when someone shouted, "He's behind you!"

MySpace
SoundCloud
Flickr
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
elektro80
Site Admin


Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
Audio files: 14

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

seraph wrote:
it is known that Italians have nicer clothes than Nazis and/or Commies Idea


I know. Laughing

You guys also have a mean pinata stick!

_________________
A Charity Pantomime in aid of Paranoid Schizophrenics descended into chaos yesterday when someone shouted, "He's behind you!"

MySpace
SoundCloud
Flickr
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
seraph
Editor
Editor


Joined: Jun 21, 2003
Posts: 12398
Location: Firenze, Italy
Audio files: 33
G2 patch files: 2

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

elektro80 wrote:
Italian uniforms

click on "Japan" the guy looks suspiciously "Italian" Shocked

_________________
homepage - blog - forum - youtube

Quote:
Don't die with your music still in you - Wayne Dyer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Page 3 of 8 [197 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Goto page: Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Next
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
 Forum index » Reviews, Editorials and Commentary » Commentary and Editorials
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
Copyright © 2003 through 2009 by electro-music.com - Conditions Of Use