Poli Psy: Against Patriotism
Published July 22, 2008
“Here, brother, for you a flag,” sing the proud sons and daughters of Armenia, formerly the proud sons and daughters of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. “Look at it, three colors / It’s our gifted symbol / Let it shine against the enemy / Let Armenia always be glorious!”
Down in Harare, where the dictator [...]
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Poli Psy: “Good Sport”
Published February 29, 2008
As a kid in the 1960s, I went to a camp where competitive sports were viewed as mildly distasteful, if not explicitly frowned upon. Sure, we gathered in the evenings for rowdy bouts of “Capture the Flag.” On hot days there was “Sink ’Em,” which involved attempting to deluge or capsize the other team’s rowboat [...]
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Poli Psy: “Honor Guard”
Published October 10, 2007
Don’t ask me if MoveOn’s Petraeus/”Betray-Us” advertisement in The New York Times was good for the left, the right, the president, the war, the country or the Jews. All I know is, it’s a sure sign of the creeping militarism of a political culture when you can’t insult a general without everybody leaping down your [...]