Michelle Obama and the Reframing of American Pride

[Vyan]

Yesterday's mini-explosion over Michelle Obama's comments:

"What we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback. And let me tell you something -- or the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it's made me proud."

What interesting about this isn't just Bill O'Reilly's idiotic ill-advised "not gonna start a lynching party" comments, - gee, thanks for the consideration Bill - but really the very serious disconnect and failure to comprehend the very simple point Michelle was making on the issue of "Pride".

The Cons just don't understand.

How could an adult person in America, not be proud of America?

How could they not feel their heart swell when the vast majority of Americans are completely cynical about politics, where they don't get involved, where they don't think their votes matters or will even get counted, where the factors that affect their lives - from the cost of health care to the collapsing housing markets, collapsing infrastructure, collapsing wages, rising costs, poisoned food, poisoned water, poisoned toys - all remain unresolved and the only hope were supposed to have is continued blind faith in the mystical merry magic of the "Free Markets" to take care of everything for us.

Most of us know this is all a crock. Corporations are not going to take care of us, they're going to take care of their stockholders - their customers and employees be damned. And while corporate lobbyist have the government in a stranglehold, they aren't going to come to anyones rescue - because that might be bad for business to be able to actually get things for free from the government, instead of having to go into debt for school fees, health care fees, driving fees and living and breathing fees...

America : Home of the Scared, land of the fees.

It's really simple. America has not lived up to it's promise, but it CAN. America isn't perfect, it has many flaws - but it can be better. It can be much better than this.

We know that the brooks brothers set doesn't get it, they already think that American is just fine as it is (for them) and anyone who dares try to make it better just simply "Hates America" - but sometimes the depth of their lack of reality is truly staggering.

Case in point - Brit Hume:

HUME: Yeah, she's -- first time she said in her, I guess, adult life.

HILL: Adult life.

HUME: She -- adult life she'd been proud of America. That's --

HILL: What in the world does that mean?

HUME: Well, it means that she is a liberal, and maybe an arch-liberal.

Why is she a "liberal"? Cuz Liberals Hate America - don't cha know?

And now that Michelle has said how she really feels, they want to know what Obama really feels?

HUME: Is this -- I mean, for example, was he proud when the first President Bush ran Saddam Hussein's army out of Kuwait? Was he proud when the United States went to the rescue and did all that our Navy and other military forces did for the tsunami victims? Was he proud then? Indeed, one might ask her, "You sure you weren't proud then as well?" But I think this was something that she kind of thinks that the -- and there is -- there is this feeling, and it has affected Democratic politicians for a long time, that they are kind of embarrassed by patriotism.

No, what were embarrassed by is the militaristic exploitation of patriotism. We're embarrassed by Jingoism.

Jingoism: (jĭng'gō-ĭz'əm) Pronunciation Key

n. Extreme nationalism characterized especially by a belligerent foreign policy; chauvinistic patriotism.

Extreme and emotional nationalism, or chauvinism, often characterized by an aggressive foreign policy, accompanied by an eagerness to wage war.

noun

1. an appeal intended to arouse patriotic emotions

2. fanatical patriotism

So naturally every element of Hume's example of "Pride" has to do with the U.S. Military, it has nothing to do with the American people themselves and how they've come together to accomplish - well - anything, because America as a nation hasn't done anything dramatic or impressive together during the entirety of Michelle's adult life over the past 20-25 years.

Hey Brit, were you "proud" when America had a better response to the tsunami than it did to the Gulf Coast and let an American City DROWN? We're you proud when while American's were dying of dehydration in the Superdome, when all they needed was some water? Are you proud that we waterboarded Abu Zubaydah and part of the information he gave us about Saddam training Al Qaeda on chemical weapons which Colin Powell told the UN was completely bogus!.

Were you proud when Americans kidnapped Abu Omar and Maher Arar, two innocent muslims who were wrongly accused and tortured by Egypt and Syria because of our mistake.

We're you proud when Tim Griffin Caged the votes of African-American soldiers serving in Iraq just to help George Bush return to the White House?

Is that the America that you love?

It seems to be the America that Cindy McCain loves:

CINDY McCAIN

Yeah, you're proud you can vote - even if it's not clear whether that vote will count or not (especially if you hapen to be in Michigan or Florida).

Then there's Ralph Reed:

Now you get this, and the problem is, the reason why I think this isn't going to go away, unless she apologizes quickly, is because it plays into a stereotype about the left wing of the Democratic Party, that it blames America first, that they don't see the greatness of America, and it really makes me wonder as somebody who is roughly about Barack and Michelle's age, what country she grew up in. I mean, I was proud of America when we won the Cold War, and the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union disintegrated. I was proud when we expelled Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. I was proud when we liberated 50 million people from the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. I was proud when we provided humanitarian aid to the victims of an earthquake in Iran and to a tsunami in Asia.

Or John Gibson, when he puts Reed's premise to Kirsten Powers and she bats it back like a fastball into deep right field:

GIBSON: Kirsten, let's put it this way: Michelle Obama is finally proud of the U.S. Does that mean that President Barack will blame America first?

POWERS: Well, actually, listening to that little speech that Ralph just gave, I mean, why do people think that about liberals? It's because people do what Ralph just did.

It's true that both Liberals and Conservatives love America. They both love their country, but Conservatives love America the way a five-year old loves their parents. It's an idealized vision where American can do no wrong, where their response is to throw a tantrum when someone points out that Dad has a compulsive gambler and Mom is constantly dipping into the cookie Sherry over it.

Liberals love America, but they want Dad to go into Gambler's Annonymous and Mom to stop drinking. They want America to live up to it's full potential not just kick the neighbor kids ass every few years.

Update:There are plenty of things about America that Liberals are proud of. Most of the time though it's been things that we stopped doing or avoided.

We're proud we stopped Jim Crow and Segregation.

We're proud we stopped denying blacks and women the right to vote.

We're proud we didn't start WWIII over the Cuban Missile Crisis.

We're proud we avoided a war with Iran over the Hostages.

We're proud we ended the Cold War.

We're proud we ended the War in Bosnia.

We're proud we helped end the War in Northern Ireland.

We're proud we have the potential to continue bringing these types of values and peace to the rest of the world.

But we won't unless we realize that we MUST get better and be better than we have been. We have to STOP our continued Racial polarization and exploitation, our own willingless to violate international Human Rights standards, and our failure to implement aggressive yet fair-minded diplomatic efforts to promote peace and prosperity.

We have to STOP being proud of our failures, and start being proud of our successes.

Vyan

[splat]

1. "Love it or leave it" is next. Some of us have been here before

[kristopher]

2. You betcha! Well said.

[madamesilverspurs]

3. Weird

that they work sooooo hard to find a way to be "offended" by a blatantly bogus issue. The 19% just eats this stuff up, poops it out, rearranges the letters and sends the mess to their local editors as opinion pieces. Total moran fodder.

[Faygo Kid]

4. O'Reilly's lynching party threat "unless" she sufficiently loves America? Precisely what's wrong.

We all know O'Reilly is a cowardly bully, but his disgusting statement is also what's wrong with America - not the struggle for justice those of us on the left support.

[loyalsister]

5. It's deeper than that

It's about full citizenship and inclusion. What is going on in that campaign is a call for citizens to be a part of their government. The assumption is that a bottom up campaign doesn't end with the election. With a high turnout, the agenda turns to what the people demand.
As a black woman she knows what it is like to not be part of the power structure.

[Bluerthanblue]

8. YES! I agree- And 'we' don't just 'vote' for our candidate-

we refuse to let words be twisted into tools with which to try and destroy our candidate.

Michelle spoke about her OWN personal feelings.

If anyone is offended by that, THEY have the 'problem'- not any one else.

peace~

[splat]

9. They'll turn her into Jane Fonda. Get it now?

[jakem]

6. the problem is thus:

Courtesy Of The Red, White, And Blue (The Angry American) Lyrics


American Girls and American Guys
We’ll always stand up and salute
We’ll always recognize
When we see Old Glory Flying
There’s a lot of men dead
So we can sleep in peace at night
When we lay down our head

My daddy served in the army
Where he lost his right eye
But he flew a flag out in our yard
Until the day that he died
He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and me
To grow up and live happy
In the land of the free.

Now this nation that I love
Has fallen under attack
A mighty sucker punch came flyin’ in
From somewhere in the back
Soon as we could see clearly
Through our big black eye
Man, we lit up your world
Like the 4th of July

Hey Uncle Sam
Put your name at the top of his list
And the Statue of Liberty
Started shakin’ her fist
And the eagle will fly
Man, it’s gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom
Start ringin’ her bell
And it feels like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue

Justice will be served
And the battle will rage
This big dog will fight
When you rattle his cage
And you’ll be sorry that you messed with
The U.S. of A.
`Cause we`ll put a boot in your ass
It`s the American way

Hey Uncle Sam
Put your name at the top of his list
And the Statue of Liberty
Started shakin’ her fist
And the eagle will fly
Man, it’s gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom
Start ringin’ her bell
And it feels like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue

[paperbag_ princess]

7. I really think we will have enough on our hands winning this election

to waste time reframing something just to prove that we are "correct"

Sure there is a lot to be ashamed of...but the average American has enough to worry about...they really don't want to have to feel guilty about things that they have no control over...they just want to know that we are going to do better.

There is nothing wrong with waving the flag...it is a heck of a lot easier.

[AnnieBW]

10. Every time I see the homeless people

I think "wow... I'm proud to be an American." :sarcasm:

[Leo 9]

11. Before she was proud. Now she's really proud. When Barack wins, she'll be really really proud.

What's not to understand?

:shrug:

[defendandprotect]

12. I don't find it hard to agree with Michelle Obama . . . and I'm not African-American . ..!!

This is an interesting list . . .

We're proud we stopped
Jim Crow and Segregation.
denying blacks and women the right to vote . . . at different times, btw.
we didn't start WWIII over the Cuban Missile Crisis.
we avoided a war with Iran over the Hostages.
we ended the Cold War.
we ended the War in Bosnia.
we helped end the War in Northern Ireland.

We're proud we have the potential to continue bringing these types of values and peace to the rest of the world.

HOWEVER . . .

* We were forced to STOP Segregation ---
the powers that be certainly did not do this
willingly.

* The Cuban Missile Crisis was one where JFK and RFK pretty much stood alone against fanatics in the Joint Chiefs -- you know, those guys who wrote "Operation Northwoods" ... !!!
"Nuke 'em" Le May, etal ---

* As for Iran and the Hostages, we should be questioning the levels on which Carter's rescue missions
failed so shockingly . . . and evidently for want of some equipment to keep sand out of the motors
of helicipters??!!! Sand . . . !!!???
We additionally have many valid reports of Reagan interference, with Bush I and Gates, etal and a known list of little helpers to make a deal with Iran to hold the hostages until after Reagan took the oath of office! Reagan's own daughter came to believe this on Inauguration Day --!!

* We didn't so much "end the Cold War" ... as Pentagon greed for $ and new weapons caused Russia to bankrupt itself trying to keep up with us --- much to the Pentagon's chagrin!!!

FURTHER, right now we're encouraging Israel's militancy against her enemies in the ME --- after having armed them in order to attack them!! ---

And very sadly for Iraq . . . we're brought our "values and peace" --- to them!!!
We have the MILITARY potential to spread our imperialistic impulses/values not only to them but maybe the rest of the world!!!

[f the letter]

13. i'm certainly not proud of this place.

And i haven't been since my teens when i realized what was actually happening in our names. i'm not ashamed of my lack of pride in the elements of our country that are greedy, shortsighted, television-governed, racist, classist, belligerent, etc. This doesn't mean i'm not proud of the rest of it. Nice post.. i hate the "You hate America if you see a single flaw" card.

[Terran]

14. excellent post

Kicked and recommended.

[Time for change]

15. Very well said

I don't know whether these jingoistic right wingers are just plain stupid or inhuman or they just use this "Hate America" tag to pin on liberals as an opportunistic ploy. Probably a combination of both.