Freedom vs. Obedience | It's the Democracy, Stupid Ft. Former DNC Chair ... [ American "Johnny s " fighting for freedom -like Johnny in " Johnny Got His Gun "] ]

As a longtime independent democratic socialist I must say that I cringe whenever I hear Fourth of July , Memorial Day, and Veterans Day vacuous patriotic rhetoric expressing eternal thanks to thousands of very dead soldiers ( like Johnny in " Johnny Got His Gun " ) who fought gallantly for OUR " FREEDOM ". Gratitude as HUMAN emotion is always commendable except when it serves an ironically warmongering , propaganda purpose. As a SOCIALIST I could never believe for a moment in my life that young working class - " cannon fodder " - wage slaves were fighting for the FREEDOM of working class people in a SYSTEM based on their constant exploitation and oppression, a system that, even in times of peace, could not survive a week without lies and brutality.