Home of the Brave?

In the American National Anthem are the words 'Home of the Brave' which are nice sentiments in a song or in poetry. In the U.S. however these words are not just part of the anthem. Over the years, in the minds of many Americans, those words have transformed from song lyrics, into fact.

I know, most non-Americans will think I am kidding, but it is true. A good part of the American psyche believes this to be true. I suspect the reason for this is two-fold. 1. The National Anthem is a big part of life in America, from the rocking of the cradle to the rolling of the hearse. 2. Hollywood. The movie makers have ingrained this belif into movies for as long as there has been a Hollywood.


The facts speak differently though. Fear is the biggest driver of law, of policy and of public opinion. Fear is what kept America out of World War II until they were attacked. Then fear and revenge became the motivation to enter that war. Fear is what makes Donald J Trump's thoughts on Muslims acceptable. Fear is what makes any kind of gun control unacceptable.

Right about now many Americans will be thinking wow this guy hates Americans. Not true.

The fact is, throughout history, there were many Americans who displayed bravery. There is no shortage of American heroes. The American heroes are here today and examples are in the news on a regular basis.

What Americans are, more than anything else, is human. America is no more the land of the brave, than any other country in the world. Like most places in the world, and like most peoples in the world, fear is an enemy that must be fought but not ignored. Fear protects us. Fear limits us.

The only thing unique in America is they believe the hype. As a people they believe the hype, as a collective. As individuals they know they are human.

My hope for the people of the United States is that they can base policy on what they know is right as people, and not what they think will be less frightening.

I think in general terms your post was reasonably well written.

Although I can't say I fully agree with the premise of our collective bravery & individual fear.

But while focused upon the fear-bravery axis, I think you overlooked what may have been one of America's most powerful collective attributes: Boundless optimism!

And that, or more accurately the lack of it, is what I personally see as my biggest concern with America today.

And I think the lack of optimism, the pessimism itself, makes it easier for fear to foster.

Fear flows from negativity.

rjay said:

In the American National Anthem are the words 'Home of the Brave' which are nice sentiments in a song or in poetry. In the U.S. however these words are not just part of the anthem. Over the years, in the minds of many Americans, those words have transformed from song lyrics, into fact.

I know, most non-Americans will think I am kidding, but it is true. A good part of the American psyche believes this to be true. I suspect the reason for this is two-fold. 1. The National Anthem is a big part of life in America, from the rocking of the cradle to the rolling of the hearse. 2. Hollywood. The movie makers have ingrained this belif into movies for as long as there has been a Hollywood.


The facts speak differently though. Fear is the biggest driver of law, of policy and of public opinion. Fear is what kept America out of World War II until they were attacked. Then fear and revenge became the motivation to enter that war. Fear is what makes Donald J Trump's thoughts on Muslims acceptable. Fear is what makes any kind of gun control unacceptable.

Right about now many Americans will be thinking wow this guy hates Americans. Not true.

The fact is, throughout history, there were many Americans who displayed bravery. There is no shortage of American heroes. The American heroes are here today and examples are in the news on a regular basis.

What Americans are, more than anything else, is human...

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Francis Scott Key in 1814 while he was under arrest on a British warship during the bombing of Fort McHenry in the War Of The Attempted Conquest Of Canada aka War of 1812 wrote the poem which later became a popular song.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner

"... The land of the free and the home of the brave."

It was not a just war. The US had no business trying to conquer Canada.

The British successfully thwarted the US attempt and set fire to The White House in retaliation.

The war was finally concluded peacefully. It was the last time the US and Britain/England have ever fought a war against each other.

Francis Scott Key's words are very flattering and emotional. It is a good song. Very inspiring. It makes great propaganda and brainwashing for little kids who want to become G/I Joe's and Sailor Sam's.

The ancient Spartans similarly brainwashed their own kids, just like the US does now.

I like the song and I sing along at sporting events. It always brings a tear to everyone's eyes.

After the War of 1812 the US avoided picking on any of Britain/England's colonies. The two lived in peace together ever since. As it also did so with France.

To France the US has always owed a special debt because if not for the French Navy at Yorktown, Gen. George Washington could not have bottled up Lord Cornwallis and compelled him to surrender. Subsequently King George 3rd decided it would cost him more in treasure to continue fighting and defending the American Colonies than he could ever recover in treasure from them even if he taxed all of them 100%. So he let them go free. It was a very kindly move by a loving king who did not want to shed any more English or American blood.

Germany and Japan were friendly nations with the US as well for the first 140 years at least, in Germany's case, and the first 160 years in Japan's.

Until American doughboys showed up on the French battlefields of WW1 against the Kaiser's armies they were not known by any Europeans to be particularly brave. Wellington, Blucher, and Napoleon had been Europe's superstars.

That all changed when the American juggernaut under Gen. Pershing rolled across the German western front faster than the British or French could ever manage to do themselves.

And similarly when Adm. Nimitz defeated the Japanese fleet at Midway 6 months after the Pearl Harbor attack, and then Gen. Eisenhower landed at Normandy and rolled nonstop across France and Germany again just like during WW1 but this time against Adolf who had conquered all of Europe with his own blitzkrieg.

Of course by then Francis Scott Key's poem was already 100 years old.

But every American who died in WW1 and WW2 in Europe died for England and for France. The debt had now been repaid.

Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq and Afghanistan have shown less spectacular results than WW1 and WW2 did but certainly more favorably than the War Of 1812 had.

As the American Civil Was has shown though, Americans have always loved a good fight. It was the bloodiest civil war in world history, with both sides being about equal.

Nothing has changed in America since the Civil War.

Americans still love a good fight, and going into Syria now with boots on the ground is sounding more appealing all the time.

The war weariness from Iraq and Afghanistan seems to be over.

Chomsky said:

I think in general terms your post was reasonably well written.

Although I can't say I fully agree with the premise of our collective bravery & individual fear.

But while focused upon the fear-bravery axis, I think you overlooked what may have been one of America's most powerful collective attributes: Boundless optimism! ...

Click to expand...

No ****.

Another meaning of the word Brave is a reference to native American warriors.