What if the dog were an imaginary dog?
If you would be happy to see your kid join the military- which always includes the possibility of death or dismemberment- then you love the government (not "America", or "our nation") more than you love your kid. And what's worse is government really only exists in your mind. It's an imaginary dog.
The only thing your kid could die for, while in military "service", is the US government. That's the nebulous entity whose interests he or she is protecting and promoting. Not mine, yours, or any other individual's. Well, maybe the president's or most congressvermin's, so no worthy individual.
Even if your kid dies saving the lives of fellow military members, the politicians benefit- you have saved "government property" as far as they are concerned, and promoted the idea that being in the military is somehow "heroic".
Do you really want your son or daughter to sacrifice life or limb- or mental health- for any politician?
If so, and you encourage them to join the military, or at least not try to dissuade them from joining, then you would sacrifice your child's life for a dog, or the illusion of a dog. Why do you love the State more than your kid?
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The blurry lines between culture, tradition, propaganda and duty make it difficult for most people to recognize that the ideals that they have been trained to revere are illusions. I'm not sure that average human intelligence has the power to overcome a lifetime of assimilation by family, friends, teachers and media personalities into the statist cult. It's just too easy to go along to get along. The typical person practicing self-delusion, especially when the myths reinforcing this assimilation use self-glorification in an appeal to our vanity, will never understand that the dog is not real. That is: "Everybody does it, right?"
ReplyDeleteGood point. In addition, people who don't go along or are even hesitant to go along are punished in some way until they crack. Every major facet of organized society is designed to accomplish that.
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