re: #105 Blind Frog Belly White

Garish displays of “patriotism” seem to be all the rage these days. I don’t recall so much of this stuff at any time in my nearly 60 years, including when we were in a much larger shooting war.

I tend to distrust this forced, over-the-top flagwaving bullshit. It seems like they didn’t do that much of it even in WWII. Is this more of the “WWII envy” that was so apparent on the Right after 9/11 and during Iraq? The need for an existential threat to prove how manly and tough we are?

I think it really ramped up with Bush War 1. Kuwait.

Remember the bit about we weren’t going to treat our soldiers like we treated the Vietnam soldier’s returns.

And you had Lee Greenwood with God Bless the USA in the mid 80s. That started to appeal to a certain American.

It has been building. Trump is going full on wrap yourself in the flag and sing the anthem building on the past…even The Southern Strategy. It all adds together to get the mess we have now in my opinion.