[Marxism] Fwd: War, Patriotic Fervor and Opening Day at Fenway Park » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
Louis Proyect
lnp3 at panix.com
Fri Apr 17 09:25:34 MDT 2015
I get up when the National Anthem plays because it’s not worth the
hassle of being seen as unpatriotic among the many who stand. What
shocks, however, is how the game of baseball has been conjoined with the
national secular religion of unquestioning patriotism. Sport is now
conflated with an aggressive and militaristic nationalism, as could be
seen in the sky above Fenway as two F-16 fighter jets made a scheduled
flyby over the baseball stadium. Having grown up as a diehard Red Sox
fan from a family of likeminded Red Sox fans, I never remember any such
display happening during my childhood attendance at the park.
The single recognition of patriotism at ballgames during opening
ceremonies has now morphed in unison with the many wars the U.S. fights.
The seventh-inning stretch is now peppered with additional songs such as
“God Bless America,” sung on this opening day by a talented 12-year-old
student.
At some point during the game a military officer in attendance at the
game was recognized for his service in both Afghanistan and Iraq. When
the National Anthem was sung, the playing field was filled with soldiers
flanking the honor guard that carried the flag.
full:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/04/17/war-patriotic-fervor-and-opening-day-at-fenway-park/
My take:
http://louisproyect.org/2008/06/17/baseball-and-capitalism/
More information about the Marxism
mailing list