Independence Day?

(source: MotherJones)

As I’ve written in the past, I try to stay away from the nationalistic, chauvinistic, militaristic, insanity we call July 4th, but events intrude. I’m not feeling so “independent” on “Independence Day“. As I look back on my prior July 4 posts, I try to take the high road, and either talk about:

• freedom and family, or
• a NJ activist I respect,  or
• “dead zones”, or
• refer to the works of real American patriots, like Thomas Paine or John Prine Woody Guthrie (see “Pastures of plenty” and “This land is your land“). 
• Here’s Prine:

But your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
They’re already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don’t like killin’
No matter what the reason’s for,
And your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.

But we are in extreme political times dominated by the corporate surveillance state in pursuit of imperial power and social control and advancement of the interests of the oligarchs (the 1%), using totalitarian means. Not exactly the right the time for naive idealistic bullshit. Worse, we are experiencing extreme weather that is driven by physics and chemistry, scientific phenomena that don’t give a damn about corporate propaganda or right wing ideological climate denial. I had planned to go to Philadelphia today for the Occupy Wall Street national gathering, but stayed home because I was just too damned exhausted by the extreme heat wave and yesterday’s training bike ride. So, even after a glorious day down on the Delaware River with the dog, I’m cranky. Thus, this post. No pretty pictures. No criticism. No hope or wisdom to offer. After hitting this links, if you don’t get it by now, …..

[Update – here is an interesting perspective on the history of Independence Day

Here is Alex Carey’s book: Taking the Risk out of Democracy – and yes I was duly shocked:

To many of us it comes as a shock to discover that American Independence Day had its beginnings in a business-led program to control public opinion, rather than as the direct expression of a nation celebrating its historical birth (see p. 60)