It’s obviously brainwashing.
It doesn’t exist in too many places anymore, so thank the God we’re under for that.
what’s disgusting is that people are free to say it…
and singing the anthem at ball games? what the fuck is that?!?
everyone should be forced to chant for 2 minutes of how they hate conservatives…
-Imp
It’s like a mantra - a meaningless gesture of utter obedience to a nonexistent entity (“God” or the “State”: it matters little).
I’ll agree that it is a mantra, but I don’t see it as being meaningless. It allows citizens to re-affirm their American identity, promoting unity and cohesiveness. Nothing wrong with that. It is a ritualized display that helps actualize the condition. These things are important.
As for the “Under God” part, that was added during the height of McCarthyism to fight “Godless Communism” and I agree the Pledge should ideally be reverted back to its original form, but I don’t think it is anything worth getting one’s panties in a twist about either.
It serves a purpose other than mere gov’t control.
It also serves to remind us from time to time that we all are neighbors and one large extended disfunctional family. We tend to forget that. Pledging allegience give you what you want out of it. If you think its brainwashing then it is. If you think its a reminder that we need each other than it is.
I tend to hear it as a reminder that when push comes to shove I must stand and protect you all, for if you fall, I shall too. Its a reminder that when a child is molested it demeans us all, Its a reminder that when we turn our backs to our neigbor’s problems, our back is exposed.
See what you will in it. This is the USA after all. Ok this isn’t, This is actually British owned. but, the country in which some of us live is.
But, as much as it unites a country, it serves to divide the world. Don’t european and african and asian child-molestations demean us as well? Don’t we all fall together? Why not a pledge of allegiance to respect for all humans, and not just the privileged few who live on a certain portion of the earth’s surface?
I think the whole idea of countries is pretty backwards by now.
Of course you are right, but, until our leaders get together and drop borders we have to work with what we have. I have always stated I would prefer a borderless world, well people do need health papers.
A pledge of allegiance is more a pledge to your neigbors than the Gov’t. that is all and that is how I see it.
“I pledge allegience to the United States of Amercia”.
Now did that say I pledge allegiance to the Feds? Or to any gov’t? Nope It pledges allegience to the people of the United States of America. All people not just the pain in the neck thieving dictatorial politicians who try to be the masters.
I pledge my allegience to you, to your family, to your neigbors. That is the pledge I have been taught by a military family to give. That is how I was taught to see it. The gov’t is not the people. The allegience is not to the gov’t but, to the people. Until the borders go down and until we can breathe true breath of freedom, I can at this time only truly pledge my allegience to those beside me , whom I may have to face a common enemy with. I ain’t Wonder woman. I can’t protect the world. Would that I could.
Idols of the tribe… Well at least you don’t go to hell for not saying it.
From what I’ll call an ‘architectural’ view, the pledge makes good sense.
If it is brainwashing, what are the results of this brainwashing? How do children who are forced to recite it different than other children?
How did I remain immune? I recited this every school day for, er, um, maybe fifteen years? How did I ever come out of that an atheist? Was I just lucky?
Crap - the last thing I’d want my kid to do is to pledge allegiance to all of humanity. What does that even mean?
Hmmm. If we are citizens of the US, don’t we have some allegiance to it?
Kids learn a lot of stuff in school that they might later reject. Manners, mores, biased US history, that recycling is efficient, beneficial and correct (a pet peeve). School is aculturation - no Victoria, grade school is not Pure Research, Pure Knowledge, or Pure Anything Else.
I really think that the Pledge is waaay down the list of stuff we may want to change about public education.
Teaching kids that it’s okay to rat their dope-smoking parents out to the cops might be a little higher on my list.
I guess we all have a list.
I hope I understood you correctly. You meant it’s not okay for kids to rat their parents to the cops? Right? Not, that it is okay? I assume you meant the former. If so, I’d add “suspicionless drug testing” to the list as well. Also, abolish the DARE program and “Red Ribbon Week”.
I’d replace all that drug prohibition propaganda with a real education in the science of pharmacology. No more cops telling 4th graders false information about drugs. We’d wait till their a little older and then have them educated in the matter by a retired pharmacist (well, okay, he don’t have to be retired) who will be required to tell them factual information about what specific chemical compositions, and/or plant substances, do or don’t do. Facts, not lies, like they do now.
Pledge of Allegiance? I’d ask a Jehovahs Witness.
Is nationalism a superiority complex? I mean to some extant, it’s like saying you are better than other nations because you are ‘here’.
I don’t understand why so many Americans hate Canadians.
…just thinking randomly. Sorry, that’s just how it came out.
I don’t know of any US person that hates Canadians. How can you hate your friends and family?.. Scratch that, never mind. Back to the first part of what I said; I don’t know of anyone who hates Canadians.
Considering the pledge was written by a Utopian Socialist with the intent of spreading his socialist agenda, I consider it brainwashing.
Here is the original version:
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.â€
It was not until 1923 that “the Flag of the United States of America†was added. It was never intended to be about the American flag, but his flag of socialism.
It was in 1954 that the words “under God" was added to make it a patriotic oath and public prayer.
Both changes the original author very much disagreed with and fought over.
I am not sure if the form in which it is now presented it brainwashing, but the original form very much was.
Yeah, Tunis, I’m with you on that.
I think it’s worth asking if this is effective brainwashing. The original intent, or any subsequent intent, means little. Tokyo Rose tried to influence US GI’s in the Pacific Theater. Did she? Was it the Pledge that saved the GI’s from her vicious propaganda? I don’t think it was.
It just makes me laugh that so many of you have “gotten to the bottom” of this. Great detective work. No one’s going to put anything over on you.
This is a harmless chant.
There is a Boy Scout Pledge, which I don’t remember. There’s the Lord’s Prayer, and several protestant creeds that I have repeated hundreds of times. I can’t believe I am so much more strong-willed than most others. Either the Pledge has meaning to you, or it doesn’t.
I had to memorise the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner when I was in grade school. I would still kill an albatross if I thought I needed to.
It’s harmless but not without need. One problem with a nation of immigrants is the never leaving the homeland mind set.
The ‘pledge’ is an attempt at solidarity.
So whats the problem?
In an extreme case this:
ajc.com/metro/content/metro/ … ab_newstab
You’re joking, right, Dio? I didn’t bother to click the link. As soon as I saw “Nazi” my eyes glazed over. That’s a tired tactic.
Last time I checked no one can force anyone to recite the pledge, not teachers, not principals, no one can force you to do it. Its completely voluntary. Anyone that does it, is not forced nor compulsed by some sort of evil corrupt brainwashing conspiracy. Geez get a grip.
Yeah, Kris - but if you don’t recite it, they get you with the chemtrails.
Actually, it’s spot on here.
Indeed and entire thread could be started just on this issue in the article.
FYI- An American citizen for mutiple decades was forced to leave over his pledge as a teenager, and he isn’t going to be the last.
The issue I was getting at is the pledge is supposed to solidify and unite- for a country of immigrants is a sign of leaving the ‘old world’ and in with the ‘new’. However, the DOJ is going to ask Americans if the pledge is still relevant.
Today it’s the Nazi, tommorow ???
So, wait, you are saying that deporting former members of the SS is a bad thing?
I certainly don’t think it is. His defense was that “everybody was in the Hitler Youth” and this is certainly true. However, not everybody was in the SS and the distinction is quite important.