tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post6963754938336774464..comments2023-07-30T01:30:51.715-07:00Comments on Witch.Words: On Patriotism and Tax BurdensJadelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119504965056881450noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-12682475623564065432011-04-03T06:59:20.379-07:002011-04-03T06:59:20.379-07:00Yay! More words from Jadelyn! :)Yay! More words from Jadelyn! :)CaitieCathttp://twice-immigrant.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-13220999276130778942011-04-02T17:30:10.836-07:002011-04-02T17:30:10.836-07:00I think I'ma have to post about this. Cause an...I think I'ma have to post about this. Cause any comment I make about the whole under-18 issue and pledges would be post-length anyway. You've inspired me! ;-)Jadelynhttp://witch-words.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-32945604672110332272011-04-02T17:14:11.082-07:002011-04-02T17:14:11.082-07:00Oh, sure, we've got some oaths - I took one as...Oh, sure, we've got some oaths - I took one as a soldier, where I affirmed my loyalty to the Queen and to her designated heirs and representatives, et c., et c.. And another when I got my Canadian citizenship, which was much the same with a little less of the obeying. <br /><br />But they're one-off things, not daily occurrences, and they don't happen in schools. You can't take an oath in this country until you're 18, because of the right of repudiation. So there's nothing even remotely pledge-like, though I can remember prayer in schools (it stopped before I finished high school, though), and the singing of the anthem is common at sports events, schoolday starts, and things like that.CaitieCathttp://twice-immigrant.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-51642191609043875232011-04-02T17:07:25.304-07:002011-04-02T17:07:25.304-07:00According to Wikipedia, the Philippines has a flag...According to Wikipedia, the Philippines has a flag pledge similar to the US's. But every other country who has any kind of pledge or oath, it's for officeholders and judiciary members and new citizens as part of their citizenship process, rather than the "trained into kids from the first day of school" kind of thing we have here. Huh. You know, I could do with my country being a little less "exceptional" in the way we currently are...Jadelynhttp://witch-words.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-15262959426076591042011-04-02T16:41:08.655-07:002011-04-02T16:41:08.655-07:00None I'm aware of - one more example of Americ...None I'm aware of - one more example of American exceptionalism, as far as I know.CaitieCathttp://twice-immigrant.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-69738704748334124572011-04-02T16:37:33.380-07:002011-04-02T16:37:33.380-07:00My sincerest apologies for infecting the world to ...My sincerest apologies for infecting the world to such an epic degree. >.<<br /><br />And now I'm wondering, since you don't - and ours is made such a big deal of that I'd sort of assumed having a pledge of allegiance was the default state for a nation - if the US is an anomaly in this regard. Hmm. Off to research.Jadelynhttp://witch-words.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-56091422011598530612011-04-02T16:29:46.969-07:002011-04-02T16:29:46.969-07:00What scares me is I've consumed so much Americ...What scares me is I've consumed so much American media I could probably recite the pledge alongside you. And we don't HAVE such a thing. :DCaitieCathttp://twice-immigrant.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-55480879449321199112011-04-01T15:50:27.849-07:002011-04-01T15:50:27.849-07:00Lolsob. I don't say it anymore either. Why s...Lolsob. I don't say it anymore either. Why should I pledge allegiance to something which clearly pledges no allegiance to me in return? What are we, fucking serfs?Jadelynhttp://witch-words.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-42010752243938083342011-04-01T08:44:17.865-07:002011-04-01T08:44:17.865-07:00For a few years now I have refused to say the Pled...For a few years now I have refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance, as it is NOT true "with liberty and justice for all" Well, I have found a simple way to make it true and it only required the addition of one word, then all good little americans can recite it as expected. "With liberty and justice for all corporations." See - simple fix and it is now true.vickiea13noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-83538040489290949322011-03-31T23:47:25.848-07:002011-03-31T23:47:25.848-07:00What's the saying, hope for the best and plan ...What's the saying, hope for the best and plan for the worst? ;-) Well I suppose, come to politics/state of the world right now, that would mean building a panic shelter and living there permanently while hoping for unicorns and rainbows to fly out of Congress' butt. But you know what I mean.Jadelynhttp://witch-words.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-41424034934732747502011-03-31T23:38:19.719-07:002011-03-31T23:38:19.719-07:00That's interesting. I've always considered...That's interesting. I've always considered myself a very jaded idealist, actually, though I try and work on the jaded bit. I have such a positive attitude in all other parts of my life that I don't want politics to be the one thing bringing me down.VijiiShttp://fiercenerditude.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-60381856830745142562011-03-31T23:04:03.936-07:002011-03-31T23:04:03.936-07:00Eh, you're never too young to be a cynic. I&#...Eh, you're never too young to be a cynic. I'm only 25. ;-) <br /><br />I do believe, genuinely, that the work we're doing matters. That it will make a difference. I'm realist enough to understand it's highly unlikely that major change will occur in my lifetime, and so I'm working for an eventuality I'll probably never see (at least in this incarnation). But absent a belief that it will make a difference, I wouldn't bother to fight at all. So it's totally possible to twine together cynicism/realism and idealism.Jadelynhttp://witch-words.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316287167964751654.post-23340135393827798012011-03-31T22:41:58.988-07:002011-03-31T22:41:58.988-07:00=[ Politics can just be so effing angering and dep...=[ Politics can just be so effing angering and depressing. You're absolutely right; there's zero reason the least powerful among us should be forced to shoulder the heaviest financial burdens.<br /><br />People are always told that they can use their vote to fight unfair policy, but then you grow up and find out that you can't; the guy with the most money gets it all, no matter what. It can be hard to think that politics is anything but hopeless.<br /><br />I do, however, try my hardest to believe that Americans will wise up and rise up against corporate greed and that our best days are ahead of us. Though I mostly do that because I'm 18 and I feel like that's probably waaay too young for me to be so jaded already.<br /><br />-Vijaya<br />http://fiercenerditude.blogspot.com/VijiiShttp://fiercenerditude.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com