re: #65 Targetpractice

The running theme in recent years has been that “traditions” that wingnuts consider as sacrosanct turn out to be things adopted in the 20th century (generally before or after the 1950s) as a form of cheap “patriotism.” Playing the Star-Spangled Banner during sporting events is as much “tradition” as saying “Under God” in the Pledge.

Under God in the pledge is a relic from the red scare of the 1950s. I suspect much of this other performative patriotism bullshit is from that red scare (or from the original one after the communist revolution in Russia).