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Oh no conservatives still think Obama hates America and July 4th

Puppycow said:
And here's how Obama actually spent the 4th:

Obama Marks Fourth With New U.S. Citizens
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How cool would that be?

Newly Naturalized American #1: "So, where did you get sworn in as an American?"

Newly Naturalized American #2: "Down at the Post Office. How about you?"

Newly Naturalized American #1: "At the ************* White House, baby! We had barbecue and fireworks, lemonade and the goddamn Marine Corps Band!"

Newly Naturalized American #2: *sob* "I'm going back to Latvia."

Newly Naturalized Citizen #1: "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."
 
cwalner said:
However, I agree, that it does seem a bit absurd that lacking any such actual shirking, the right wing decides to pretend that he did anyway and criticize him for it despite the facts.
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Exactly. I apologize for the fact that I didn't do so hot of a job at making my point clear in my above post. But this right here was the point I was trying to make.
 
cwalner said:
Which, if that were the case, they would have every right to. The POTUS is the head of state. There are certain ceremonial functions that we have a right to expect of him. If he shirked such responsibilities he should be criticized.
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From a political perspective I get this. From a rational pragmatic perspective I think it is a giant steaming pile of horse manure. I get that we have to play a game of pretend even if we are adults. I get that we have to be coddled and mollified in our fears and insecurities. Someday though it would be nice if we could grow up. BTW: When I say "we", I include me. I fall for that crap far too often. I really should know better. That the illusion is effective doesn't change the fact that it is still just symbolic gesture to placate a bunch of children who are worried sick that maybe, just maybe their commander in chief might not actually like them.

When Clinton came to tour the damage of the Northridge Earthquake he took of us coat and rolled up his sleeves. Let's face it, we really are children at times.
 
Howie Felterbush said:
How cool would that be?

Newly Naturalized American #1: "So, where did you get sworn in as an American?"

Newly Naturalized American #2: "Down at the Post Office. How about you?"

Newly Naturalized American #1: "At the ************* White House, baby! We had barbecue and fireworks, lemonade and the goddamn Marine Corps Band!"

Newly Naturalized American #2: *sob* "I'm going back to Latvia."

Newly Naturalized Citizen #1: "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."
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That would be AWESOME cool.

I know both of my maternal grandparents became citizens in the 1920s, but I never asked them about the process of doing it, and I regret that.
 
RandFan said:
From a political perspective I get this. From a rational pragmatic perspective I think it is a giant steaming pile of horse manure. I get that we have to play a game of pretend even if we are adults. I get that we have to be coddled and mollified in our fears and insecurities. Someday though it would be nice if we could grow up. BTW: When I say "we", I include me. I fall for that crap far too often. I really should know better. That the illusion is effective doesn't change the fact that it is still just symbolic gesture to placate a bunch of children who are worried sick that maybe, just maybe their commander in chief might not actually like them.

When Clinton came to tour the damage of the Northridge Earthquake he took of us coat and rolled up his sleeves. Let's face it, we really are children at times.
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Sorry to disappoint you but you will be waiting a long time. Its in our genes, we are a tribal species and these rituals are part and parcel of that fact. If this ever ceases to be the case, we will have evolved past the point of being human anymore.
 
cwalner said:
Sorry to disappoint you but you will be waiting a long time. Its in our genes, we are a tribal species and these rituals are part and parcel of that fact. If this ever ceases to be the case, we will have evolved past the point of being human anymore.
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Enslaving people, genocide and rape are also in our genes. I'll grant you that it took a long time to improve on those but I think we need not be so cynical. One thing we need to do is keep reminding people just how childish such needs are. We will get there. Slowly but that is never a reason not to try. We would have never gotten as far as we have without some hope. :)
 
RandFan said:
Enslaving people, genocide and rape are also in our genes. I'll grant you that it took a long time to improve on those but I think we need not be so cynical. One thing we need to do is keep reminding people just how childish such needs are. We will get there. Slowly but that is never a reason not to try. We would have never gotten as far as we have without some hope. :)
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I think you miss the point. Slavery and genocide are just expressions of tribalism. While we have mostly moved away from those and other of the more brutal expressions, we are still tribal. Instead we have banal rituals like 4th of July Barbecues.

I consider tribalism to be a fact of our existence, and I would much rather live in a society that expresses it in a silly ritual that doesn't hurt anybody, than some of the more brutal and vicious expressions our history is overflowing with.
 
cwalner said:
I think you miss the point. Slavery and genocide are just expressions of tribalism.
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A bit simplistic. And you didn't address rape. But granting the premise doesn't obviate my point. It's not my desire to get rid of tribalism so much as to mitigate the excesses. To do that we need to grow up more. Less thumb sucking and hand holding. My point was that as a species we have incrementally improved and we will continue to do so as more and more of us recognize and understand our petty fears and irrational beliefs. That's all.

While we have mostly moved away from those and other of the more brutal expressions, we are still tribal. Instead we have banal rituals like 4th of July Barbecues.
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Seems like a step forward to me.

I consider tribalism to be a fact of our existence, and I would much rather live in a society that expresses it in a silly ritual that doesn't hurt anybody, than some of the more brutal and vicious expressions our history is overflowing with.
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I agree but somehow I don't think we are even communicating.
 
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ravdin said:
George W. Bush spent the 4th volunteering at a clinic that specializes in early detection and treatment of cervical cancer- in Zambia! Why does he hate America too?

http://www.voanews.com/content/george-bush-africa-cervical-cancer/1363615.html
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On a serious note: Good for him.

On a not-so-serious note:

While Bush is following a familiar post-presidential path in supporting humanitarian causes, he would prefer to focus on quiet service, to lead through example and hard work. ​
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Man, even Russia Today is more subtle than that...
 
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