NationStates Jolt Archive

So many bumper stickers proclaim, “United We Stand” and “United in Support of Our President and Troops.” What is this bumper sticker unity we are all invited to join?

Richard Pevear wrote in the introduction to the English translation of Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground, “Unity is not singularity but rather wholeness, a holding together, a harmony, all of which imply plurality.”

Unity is not about marching in lock step to the beat of a Republican, conservative drum. Nor is it unquestioning obedience to the president. It is not keeping quite about an unjust war or acquiescing to government propaganda and lies. The United State is composed of people of many and varied backgrounds, ideologies, and political stripes. Unity is recognizing that their dissent and loyal opposition are essential to the very survival of the American democratic republic.

"the unity of a nation's spirit and will are worth far more than the freedom of the spirit and will of an individual... we understand only the individual's capacity to make sacrifices for the community, for his fellow man."

-Adolf Hitler, speaking in Buckeburg on Oct. 7, 1933

Unity is not a virtue.

Sheep are united.

Individuality, and the freedom to express that individuality, is a far worthier goal.

It is just a term of propaganda, like liberty and freedom. What I think is behind the word is an attempt to convince people that the idea is so good that a majority already is willing to accept it and welcoming new followers of this belief. And frankly, what do you consider most positive, unity or antiindividualism?

People like living in their nice little constructed realites where everything is good and makes perfect sense. When people disturb those realites and expose them to a little truth they get upset.

Thats why people like Coulter and Limbaugh for example went ballistic over the exposure of abuse at abu garib--it destroyed the notion that US was pure and good and never does anything wrong. People can't handle the truth so they lash out against whoever is telling the truth like the america hating liberal media.

People will defend any position that makes them comfortable, makes the world easy to understand e.g. Poor people are poor becasue they are lazy, more tax cuts for the rich help everyone because they will trickle down, Jesus loves you etc. People don't like to admit that the world is filled with shades of Gray because it makes it hard to understand, and we americans especially have always looked down on thinking becasue it makes your head hurt, and prefer to rush headlong into action such as the Iraq war.

It is just a term of propaganda, like liberty and freedom. What I think is behind the word is an attempt to convince people that the idea is so good that a majority already is willing to accept it and welcoming new followers of this belief. And frankly, what do you consider most positive, unity or antiindividualism?

Join the bandwagon! Support this mini Vietnam of Iraq with blind acceptance! Go on! I dare you! "United We Stand" right?

Unity is not about marching in lock step to the beat of a Republican, conservative drum. Nor is it unquestioning obedience to the president. It is not keeping quite about an unjust war or acquiescing to government propaganda and lies. The United State is composed of people of many and varied backgrounds, ideologies, and political stripes. Unity is recognizing that their dissent and loyal opposition are essential to the very survival of the American democratic republic.

While I don't buy the idea that this is the definition of unity, I do believe having the freedom to disagree, have varied backgrounds and ideologies are certainly a part of what makes this country great.

Unity, sounds like the Borg to me.

You know, lemmings are unified as well.

Unity is not a virtue.

Sheep are united.

Individuality, and the freedom to express that individuality, is a far worthier goal.
Actually, both are necessary to the survival, not only of nations, but of the species as a whole.

Without cooperation and "unity" of purpose, we would have no ability to cooperate for things like hunting during pre and early history, or building space shuttles today.

Without individuality, there would be little innovation and creativity.

They work together, like your feet. :)

http://homepage.mac.com/leperous/.Pictures/silence.jpg

"Support Our Troops" and the like is a way of accusing liberals of detesting America. As if somebody DOESN'T support the troops. Half the country opposes the war, but I doubt half opposes the troops themselves.

"Support Our Troops" and the like is a way of accusing liberals of detesting America. As if somebody DOESN'T support the troops. Half the country opposes the war, but I doubt half opposes the troops themselves.

I agree. Their statement of support has more to do with condemnation of dissent than support of the troops.

How exactly do these people "support" the troops?

Are we asked to pay higher taxes to fight the war or to pay for their equipment or for better benifits when they come home? No, in fact the wealthiest among us get a tax break, the only time in American history in which a tax cut was passed during a war.

Are we willing to cut back on our driving or conserve fuel, so we can become independent of Middle Eastern oil? No, we make no attempt to increase fuel standards or to institute conservation measures.

Do we institute a draft so that the sons and daughters of America's middle, upper-middle, and upper classes, not to mention the children of the men and women who got us into war - our president and congresspeople, all share the burden of fighting and dying equally? No, we contiue to send those who are part time soldiers or those who's options were limited to military service because of their socio-economic status.

So, how do these people "support" our troops? By sitting on the couch and watching FOX News with a beer in one hand and a bag of pork rinds in the other?

They've learned from the 60's. People don't want to attack the soldiers, so now they're attatched to the war itself.

In short, their names are being completely whored out to protect the ones who started the war.