Israel: There Is No Excuse For USA Support Of Apartheid

"Israel's politics have been upended by the return of Netanyahu as Prime Minister, put in office with the help of extremely far-right factions who have now pushed through reforms to the Israeli Supreme Court that fundamentally undermine their democracy. All this while they were already a farce of a democracy due to the maintenance of an apartheid-like system of differing rules applying to different residents based on ethnicity."

Click on the link below for a podcast exposing a country that should not be allowed to hoodwink the USA with its religious bigotry (heads up, Evangelical ideologues). 

Israel's Political Upheavals (and more)

A Sober Look At The USA On The Celebration Of Its Birth

"While Americans grill burgers and hot dogs, enjoy a dip in the pool, and await the annual July Fourth fireworks display, I remain happily surprised that this day of communal patriotism is still widely accepted and generally celebrated," Lewis argues. "To be blunt, it feels like the country is coming apart at the seams and lacking some shared purpose. And I'm not alone in feeling this way." Click on the link > (America is 'coming apart at the seams' as the 'nationalist' far right goes full 'authoritarian': conservative)

Two Types Of Nationallsm

The terms "patriotism" and "nationalism" have gone through some interpretive changes in recent years, thanks to the Republican Party's adoption of an "America First" mantra. Beau of the Fifth Column YouTube channel clarifies the good, bad, and ugly of the terms. Click on the link below for details:

Let's talk about two types of nationalism....

The Elements Behind Theocratic Dictatorships

"Today, we compare the far-right religious extremists who are fighting to gain power in the US with the protests against the theocratic regime in Iran supporting women's rights in the country."

Click on the link below for a podcast presenting the dangers and realities of theocratic government using the USA and Iran as examples:

How Theocracies Begin And End

Nationalism Is A Bastardization Of Patriotism

"Nationalism is dangerous. There is nothing wrong with being patriotic, but Americans often forget, or may not even be aware of, how quickly enthusiastic patriotism can devolve into nationalism. Patriotism and nationalism are often used interchangeably, but they are very different. Patriotism is love and pride for one’s nation, while nationalism is the idea of the superiority of one’s culture, government, people, and nation over others."

Click on the link below for a brief, succinct, and thorough article describing this disease that is ravaging the US:

Nationalism is Dangerous

For a scholarly article looking at the history of society's evolution and coherence, click here.

Is THIS At The Root Of The Evil?

It is no secret that the Republican party has gone full bore into nationalism, unsupported Christian dogma, attacking non-binary sexuality, misogyny, racism, libertarianism, autocracy, anti-education, anti-US Constitution, and general magical thinking over science-based thinking. Is there one ideology at the base of it all? Click on the link below for a short podcast presenting a provocative point of view on the matter:

It's Always the Season For Male Supremacy

"Patriotism" Or "Nationalism"

"What sticks out to me is how patriotism, by definition, isn’t inherently good or bad. It all depends on what exactly is being vigorously supported.

"If you support a country that believes it’s OK to imprison or kill those who disagree with you, or stone and murder women who dare leave their home without their heads covered, then your patriotism pretty much stinks.

"But if you live in a country that supports the rights of all individuals equally to say what they want, write what they want, read what they want, love who they want, worship however they want, and protest peacefully against anything they want — in other words, a place that encourages and honors freedom — then patriotism can be a positive thing." (The Dark Side of Patriotism)

History has shown that the line where pride in your country (patriotism) slips into the belief that your nation is superior (nationalism) is very blurry. The links below further clarify these terms.

The Dangers of Patriotism: Remembering Robert Prager

Nationalism is Dangerous