You were a child back then, as was I. The tragedy was used as a sling to catapult us overseas. Any dissent was not tolerated among politicians. You HAD to agree. It was difficult to see through in the beginning but any last semblances of naiveté were wiped clean in the years after the Bush presidency when we learned much more than we wanted to.
We have learned much more about what nationalism and patriotism really means. It is not blind faith and selective hearing, its critique and course correction. To love America is to continue shaping it and sometimes demolishing the parts that no longer serve the public.
For sure! It's funny how people are honing in on the dangers of fascism in America with the rise of the MAGA movement, but I'd argue there was a window during the Bush years when America was as--if not--more fascist. The way the media, entertainment, and both parties lined up to support both wars and vaporized any skepticism or dissent was pretty wild. For as much as right-wingers want to bitch about cancel culture, they shut up pretty quickly when you mention how the Dixie Chicks were wiped off the face of the earth for criticizing the Bush administration.
Before there was MAGA, there was the Tea Party. Even then I knew it was nothing to laugh at because they were willing to dig their heels in and had strength of conviction. Look where we are now. There’s always a new enemy, the ones in the crosshairs are just domestic.
I was about 15 living in rural NZ and wrote on my school book OPERATION DESERT STROM WE OWN THE NIGHT, WITH a pic of a stealth bommer and merica flag drawn in pen.
The propaganda machine and programming of the general Americans was massive, but they did not have access to many other ideas like now.
We had three channels and it was non stop on the news. Man loves exciting things , wars are bad but to humans it beats boredom as long as it's over there.
I was totally brainwashed.
Starwipe to 2007 and I'm working in a New York treatment center handling the toxic build up of depleted unranium dust and oil in veterans who were in there 20s back when I was 15 thinking that killing evil iraqis was good...
I'm pretty sure I still have Desert Storm cards somewhere, although I sold a bunch on eBay in the late 90s (why? because the entrepreneurial flood gates had been opened).
I remember not buying into the weapons of mass destruction scheme because of how rushed it was. I did see a documentary on I think a PBS channel that more or less in a nutshell described it as a war plan that (Richard?) Ashcroft tried to get Bill Clinton to buy into but he passed. The plan was for the US to take control of the world’s oil so that we could sell it to China and India as they were the next likely largest consumers. It all made sense to me after seeing that. Did anyone else see it and know where to find it?
You were a child back then, as was I. The tragedy was used as a sling to catapult us overseas. Any dissent was not tolerated among politicians. You HAD to agree. It was difficult to see through in the beginning but any last semblances of naiveté were wiped clean in the years after the Bush presidency when we learned much more than we wanted to.
We have learned much more about what nationalism and patriotism really means. It is not blind faith and selective hearing, its critique and course correction. To love America is to continue shaping it and sometimes demolishing the parts that no longer serve the public.
For sure! It's funny how people are honing in on the dangers of fascism in America with the rise of the MAGA movement, but I'd argue there was a window during the Bush years when America was as--if not--more fascist. The way the media, entertainment, and both parties lined up to support both wars and vaporized any skepticism or dissent was pretty wild. For as much as right-wingers want to bitch about cancel culture, they shut up pretty quickly when you mention how the Dixie Chicks were wiped off the face of the earth for criticizing the Bush administration.
Before there was MAGA, there was the Tea Party. Even then I knew it was nothing to laugh at because they were willing to dig their heels in and had strength of conviction. Look where we are now. There’s always a new enemy, the ones in the crosshairs are just domestic.
I was about 15 living in rural NZ and wrote on my school book OPERATION DESERT STROM WE OWN THE NIGHT, WITH a pic of a stealth bommer and merica flag drawn in pen.
The propaganda machine and programming of the general Americans was massive, but they did not have access to many other ideas like now.
We had three channels and it was non stop on the news. Man loves exciting things , wars are bad but to humans it beats boredom as long as it's over there.
I was totally brainwashed.
Starwipe to 2007 and I'm working in a New York treatment center handling the toxic build up of depleted unranium dust and oil in veterans who were in there 20s back when I was 15 thinking that killing evil iraqis was good...
Sadzz
Wait; Desert Storm cards were a thing?
#StrongBad2024
Gotta reboot the entire franchise!
I'm pretty sure I still have Desert Storm cards somewhere, although I sold a bunch on eBay in the late 90s (why? because the entrepreneurial flood gates had been opened).
Homestarrunner had their moments.
"young people today are much more well-informed."
Yeah.... about that...
Sadam Hussein rookie card makes me happy.
I remember not buying into the weapons of mass destruction scheme because of how rushed it was. I did see a documentary on I think a PBS channel that more or less in a nutshell described it as a war plan that (Richard?) Ashcroft tried to get Bill Clinton to buy into but he passed. The plan was for the US to take control of the world’s oil so that we could sell it to China and India as they were the next likely largest consumers. It all made sense to me after seeing that. Did anyone else see it and know where to find it?
John Ashcroft. Sorry.
That cookie recipe really is the best. Forgiven.
It is truly heavenly!