DEMOCRATIC IDEAS, VIII: LET’S PLAY CAPTURE THE FLAG

Steven Jonas, MD, MPH

I published the original version of this column on the Weblog of my dear friend and colleague, Michael Carmichael, the European Editor of The Political Junkies.net, The Moving Planet Blog, on July 4, 2006 (http://www.planetarymovement.org/blog/2006/07/dr-js-short-short-shot-no-30-citizens.html).   I thought to expand the text and share the ideas with you here. 

On July 2, 2006, the important, honored progressive American historian Howard Zinn published an essay entitled “Put away the flags” ("The Progressive" http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13823.htm). He began his essay by saying:  

“On this July 4, we would do well to renounce nationalism and all its symbols: its flags, its pledges of allegiance, its anthems, its insistence in song that God must single out America to be blessed. Is not nationalism -- that devotion to a flag, an anthem, a boundary so fierce it engenders mass murder -- one of the great evils of our time, along with racism, along with religious hatred? These ways of thinking -- cultivated, nurtured, indoctrinated from childhood on -- have been useful to those in power, and deadly for those out of power.”  

What he says about nationalism in its militant variety, is certainly true, sadly true. Until the advent of Nazi nationalism, the power, militarism, and brutality of certain organized religions over the course of history for the past two millennia or so caused more death, destruction, and human suffering than any other force our species could muster.  Nazi nationalism of course outdid militant religion.  And while militant religion is now making a comeback in its bid to once again become the number one destroyer, militant nationalism is still a grave danger to the future of our species. Nevertheless, I think that a great mistake that progressives have made is to let our own militant nationalists, in our time led by the Republican Religious Right and the Georgites, take over so many symbols of our nation and nationhood. 

For symbols are just that, symbols. Symbols have meaning only when it is given to them by people. A single symbol can be given a wide variety of different meanings, over time. For example, the original swastika (svastika in Sanskrit) was an ancient Indian good luck symbol, used by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Tibetans going back thousands of years.  Further, the counterclockwise version used by the Nazis is also the letter “G” in the medieval Northern European Runic Script. It appears as well in ancient Norse culture, associated with the God of Thunder.  It was used thus used by air forces of both Latvia and Finland when they gained independence after the First World War. The most prominent armed force to use it was of course the Nazi Wehrmacht, the Nazis using it as both a military and a civilian symbol, conveniently mixing the two just as other proto-fascist administrations are attempting to do.  The Nazis themselves called it the Hakenkreutz (“hooked cross”), not the swastika. 

But what of the symbols of our great nation? Why does our flag have to mean militant, militaristic Christian-Rightist Republicanism?  Only because we progressives have let them make it so.  Yes, the processes that lead the thirteen original States to become fifty have in part been one of often bloody conquest.  But it has also been one of the spread of the ideas that were at the center of the formation of our nation across our part of the North American Continent.  On the Fourth of July as we battle against the onslaught of Georgite theocratic fascism I felt that it was important to recall the most important words of our Declaration of Independence from the tyranny of an earlier King George: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,”   

Yes, folks, according to the founding document of our great nation, governments are instituted among men to secure those rights with which they endowed by their Creator.  (And that “creator” can be whatever one thinks it is.  If the Congress had wanted to use the word “God,” they would have.  But they chose a word that theists of whatever stripe and non-theists alike can be comfortable with.)  Governments are not there to submerge freedom of thought and expression, or to line their own pockets, or to destroy the commons, or pursue foreign wars on their own authority.  The Declaration is about what we, not our opponents, stand for.  One of its most important symbols is our flag.  We have let them take it.  It is time to get it back. 

Further, we have let them take over the Pledge of Allegiance, because in the 1950s an earlier right-wing Republican Congress, presaging the present Republican-Christian Alliance, artificially added the words “under God” to the original.  But the last line of the Pledge is “with liberty and justice for all.”  Isn’t that what the United States at its best is all about?  Does not, in fact, “liberty and justice for all” trump “under God?”  Yet we have let the Pledge become the property of those who would precisely deny “liberty and justice” to any and all Americans who do not share their political and religious beliefs nor their ethnic heritages.   

Our national anthem concludes with the vision of our flag waving “o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”  One can rightfully complain that the tune of the old English drinking song that Francis Scott Key used at his moment of inspiration, ranging over two octaves, is virtually unsingable.  But even though it is hard to sing we should not have let it too become a symbol of militant, militaristic Republicanism. Why not? Because again at its best our nation is and has been the land of the free and the home of the brave.  Indeed, so many of those who are on the front lines battling to rid us of the Georgite pestilence want it once again to be totally free, and are so brave in carrying on the battle.  Our national anthem is indeed about them. 

We who are devoted to what distinguished our nation at its founding and still does at its best moments and in its best incarnation, have let our symbols go, have let them become the property of those forces in our country who are doing their very best to destroy everything that those symbols truly stand for.  On the Fourth of July I honored our flag and the thought that underlay it at our nation’s beginning by rereading the Declaration in its entirety, thinking about its meaning and what more I can do to try to stop the Georgite theocratic fascist juggernaut intent upon trampling into the dust everything that it stands for. We have let the reactionaries capture the flag, capture patriotism (which is truly love of country and devotion to its best interests), totally obliterate what our nation stood for in the eyes of its Founders, and stands for today in the eyes those of us who believe that Constitutional Democracy is the only way to govern, and is the essence of true Americanism.  

Have our nation and its forebears done bad things? Oh yes they have, many too many of them. Howard Zinn's list hits some of the "high spots." But those horrible events occurred because those who led the nation to do what it did abandoned the very principles on which it was founded. What we progressives have to do is recapture the flag, show our own people and the world what it really stands for, and then beat back the dark reactionary forces of Christian Rightist Georgite Republicanism so that our nation can once again become the beacon to the world of Constitutional Democracy and the Rule of Law that on its best days has been, certainly has been.

________________  

Dr. Steven Jonas is a contributing author for The Political Junkies (www.thepoliticaljunkies.net).  He is a Professor of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University (NY) and author/co-author of over twenty books. Dr. Jonas is one of America 's most perceptive Democratic political analysts.

In his book The New Americanism, Dr. Jonas presents his proposal for that “new vision and mission” for the Democratic Party that so many, for so many years, have been urging it to find.  A new vision and mission are obviously needed with increasing urgency as with increasing speed and determination the Georgites drive our nation towards frank theocratic fascism.  Dr. Jonas finds the needed vision and mission in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  "The New Americanism: How the Democratic Party Can Win the Presidency  is available from Amazon.com (go to "Books;" enter the title) and BarnesandNoble.com (same). 

 He is also the author of The 15% Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001-2022.  Under the pseudonym "Jonathan Westminster" this book was originally published in 1996.  It was republished with a New Introduction in 2004.  Under Georgite rule, the “fictional non-fiction” scenario of this work of “future history” is, most unfortunately, becoming all too real, now almost day-by-day.  The 2004 edition is available at www.barnesandnoble.com (search with the book title) and www.xlibris.com (click on “Bookstore,” then “Search” with the title).  Both versions are available at www.amazon.com (go to "Books;" search with the title).

 Dr. Jonas is also a Contributing Editor for the Weblog http://planetarymovement.org/blog/, produced by The Planetary Movement Ltd. UK (http://planetarymovement.org/blog/), TPJ's own Michael Carmichael,  President and Chief Executive Officer, a Contributing Columnist for the Project for the Old American Century, POAC (http://www.oldamericancentury.org/), on which his TPJ columns appear regularly, and a Columnist for the webmagazine BuzzFlash (http://www.buzzflash.com/) on which short(er) articles are published once a week or so. By invitation, Dr. J's TPJ columns are also posted periodically on the weblog Thomas Paine's Corner (http://civillibertarian.blogspot.com/).

2006
Jul 13, 2006         "Ann Coulter: The New Face Of The Republican Party"
Jul 6,2006           "Ideas For Democrats, VII: Bipartisanship On Iraq"

Jun 29, 2006       "Ideas For Democrats, VI: Attack On Defense, II”
Jun 22, 2006       "Ideas For Democrats, V: Attack On Defense" 
Jun 15, 2006       "Ideas For Democrats, IV: The Ten Commitments, Re-visited”
Jun 8, 2006         "Ideas For Democrats, III: Dealing The DLC”
Jun 1, 2006         "Ideas For Democrats, II: Why Don't The Democrats?” 

May 25, 2006       "Ideas For Democrats, I: The Vision”
May 18, 2006       "On Conspiracy Theories"
May 11, 2006       "The Significance Of The Tony Snow Job”*
May 3, 2006         "Bush Is Not Hitler, II"

April 25, 2005       "Bush Is Not Hitler, I”
April 20, 2006       "Some Thoughts On The 'Immigration Problem'"
April 13, 2006       “The Georgite State Of The Union Address Revited"
April 6, 2006         "A Firebell In The Night:  The So-Called 'Gay Marriage' Amendment, II"
April 2, 2006         "A Fireball In The Night:                        
                            The So-Called ‘Gay Marriage’ Amendment, I

Feb 22, 2006         “The German Reichstag Fire of 1933 and 9/11: Some Comparisons. A Revisit,
                              Part II” 
Feb 16, 2006         “The German Reichstag Fire Of 1933 And 9/11: Some
                            Comparisons.  A Revisit, Part1" 
Feb 9, 2006           "A Comment On The Democratic Alchemy,’
                             Appearing In The American Prospect”         
Feb 2, 2006           "Vengeance Is Mine, Saith The LORD"

Jan 26, 2006          "George Bush And The Doctrine Of Original Intent"       
Jan 19, 2006          "Let's Hear It For Original Intent (Version 2)"
Jan 12, 2006          "A Quick Visit To Mexico"
Jan 5, 2006            "Why The Patriot Act, Redux: Fascism In The Here And Now, Cont." 

Dec 22, 2005          "Why The Patriot Act, Redux: Fascism In The Here And Now"
Dec 15, 2005          "An Iraq Exit Proposal"
Dec 10, 2005          “Exiting Iraq, The Georgite Way"
Dec 1, 2005            "The Future Of The Democratic Party, VIII:
                              A Politically Viable Progressive Position On The War" 

Nov 25, 2005            “The Future Of The Democratic Party, VII: ‘The Ten Commitments’”
Nov 17, 2005            "The Future Of The Democratic Party, VI: An Organizing Proposal For Progressives” 
Nov 10, 2005            “The Future Of The Democratic Party, V:
                               There Is No Middle Ground"
Nov 3, 2005              “On The (Possible) Indictments.”

Oct 27, 2005            “The Future of the Democratic Party, IV:
                                Bush, Bennett, Miers, and the DLC.” 
Oct 20, 2005            “The Future Of The Democratic Party, III:
                                First Thoughts On Dealing With The DLC.”
Oct 13, 2005            “The Future Of The Democratic Party, II: On The Republicans” 
Oct 6,  2005             “The Future Of The Democratic Party, I”

Sept 29, 2005          "The Bush Flood, And The Georgites: New Orleans, III"
Sept 22, 2005          "On The Great New Orleans Flood Of 2005, II"
Sept 15, 2005          "On The Great New Orleans Bush Flood Of 2005, I"
Sept 8, 2005            "Let's Hear It For Original Intent"
Sept 1, 2005            "An Iraq Solution"

Aug 25,2005             "Some Thoughts On The Atomic Bombing Of Japan"
Aug 18, 2005            "Why God Sent Us George W. Bush" 
Aug 12, 2005            "John Bolton And The Nuclear Option II"
Aug 5, 2005              "The Significance Of The Karl Rove Speech"

July 28, 2005             “Iran Nukes, Revisited"
                                 (Expanded Edition)
July 21, 2005             “Iran Nukes, Revisited"
July 14, 2005             "The Dick Durbin Disaster" A Follow Up
July 7, 2005               "The Dick Durban Disaster"

June 23, 2005            "Why All Of This Repression Abroad?"
June 16, 2005            “Not Very Intelligent Design"
June 8,2005              "Pat Buchanan's "What If, "III?"
June 2, 2005             "Pat Buchanan's 'What If,' II?"

May 26, 2005            "Pat Buchanan's 'What If?'"
May 18, 2005            "The Schiavo Case, V: The Attack On Science" 
May 12, 2005            “Possible Explanations For Bush-Behavior On And Around 9/11"
May 5, 2005              "Bill Frist's Declaration Of War"

April 28, 2005            "The Schiavo Case, IV: The Definitions Of Life And Death"
April 24, 2005            "The Schiavo Case, III: Further Legal Considerations And Their Political Implications"
April 14, 2005            “The Schiavo Case, II: William Bennett And The Beginning Of The End Of The Separation Of Powers"
April 7, 2005              "The Schiavo Case And The Locus Of The 'Police Power'"

March 31, 2005           “John Bolton And The Nuclear Option"
March 22, 2005            Of "Moolahs," Putin and Bush
March 17, 2005            Georgite "Freedom And Democracy"
March 10, 2005            "We Won't Have To Worry Any More"
March  3, 2005             "Iranian Nukes"

February 24, 2005        "Going Nuclear In Iran"
February 16, 2005        “The Georgite Social Security Scam: Bases For Suspicion”
February 10, 2005        “The Georgite Version of ‘Freedom and Democracy’ ”
                                   “The Coming 2nd Civil War (Unless),” No. 6
Feb 3, 2005                  “WMD Discovered --- In Washington”

Jan 27, 2005                 “Comparing George W. Bush And Adolf Hitler”
Jan 18, 2005                 “The Bush Second Inaugural: A Preview” “The Coming 2nd Civil War
                                    (Unless),” No. 5 
Jan 13, 2005                 “The Georgite Concept of Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law”
Jan 6, 2005                   “The ‘Unless’ Of The ‘Coming Second Civil War’ Series; Part II”  

Dec 30, 2004                 “The ‘Unless’ of the ‘Coming Second Civil War’ Series, Part I” 
Dec 23, 2004                 “The Real Meaning Of The ‘Faith-Based Presidency;’ Part II”
Dec 15, 2004                 “The Coming Second Civil War (Unless)” 
Dec 9, 2004                   “The Real Meaning Of The ‘Faith-Based Presidency’ ”      

Oct 28, 2004                 Why The Patriot Act?”
Oct. 21, 2004                “The Cheneys’ Daughter Flap”
Oct 14, 2004                 “George Bush’s America” 
Oct 7, 2004                   “The Debate” 

Sept 30, 2004                “Four 800 Lb. Gorillas In The Campaign Room” 
Sept 23, 2004               "Fixing The Kerry Campaign, 9/15/2004"
Sept 16, 2004               "Lessons From Japan.  Part II: Successful Occupations"
Sept 9, 2004                 "Thoughts On the Third Anniversary of the Tragedy of 9/11/2001"
Sept 2, 2004                 "Lessons From Japan, Part 1"

August 26,2004             “Dealing with the Republican National Convention and Related
                                     Issues”
August 18, 2004            "The Best Of Dr. Jonas"
August 12, 2004             “Some Thoughts For and About The Kerry Campaign, VI”
August 5,2004                “Some Thoughts For and About The Kerry Campaign, V”

July 29, 2004                “Some Thoughts For and About The Kerry Campaign, IV”
July 22, 2004                “Some Thoughts For and About The Kerry Campaign III”              
July 15, 2004                “Some Thoughts For And About The Kerry Campaign II”
July 7, 2004                  “Some Thoughts For And About The Kerry Campaign,I”
July 1, 2004                  “Counsel To The President”
June 24, 2004               “ ’You Know me Al:’ On the German Reichstag Fire of Feb. 27, 1933
                                     and the 9/11/01 Bombing of the World Trade Center, Part II”
June 17, 2004               “ ‘The Ralph Nader Problem’ --- A Re-run plus”
June 10, 2004               “Ronald Reagan’s Legacy”
June 3, 2004                 “’You Know Me Al:’ On The Reichstag Fire Of Feb. 27, 1933 And The
                                      9/11/01 Bombing Of The World Trade Center, Part I”

May 27, 2004                “On Fascism -- And The Georgites”
May 20, 2004                “On John Ashcroft -- And Jefferson Davis”
May 13, 2004                “Karl Rove’s Personal Political Notebook”
May 6, 2004                  “Possible Explanations For Bush Behavior And 9/11” 

April 29, 2004               “On George Bush and Religion, Part 2”
April 22, 2004               “What Condi Rice Might Have Said”
April 8, 2004                 “On George Bush And Religion”
April 1, 2004                 “Some Political Thoughts For Senator Kerry”  

March 25, 2004              “Brief Essays”
March 16, 2004             “You Know Me Al: The Iraq War --- So What Was It About, Anyway?
March 11, 2004             “A Word (Or Two) On Ralph Nader”
March 4, 2004               “A Firebell In The Night” 

February 27, 2004        “On Doctor Dean”

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