"I must study politics and war

that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study paintings, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain." ~ attributed to John Adams, 1st US Vice-President

This sentiment has been cruelly and cynically manipulated by National Leaders in the US since it's beginning. In the 1946 drama Tomorrow is Forever Orson Welles' character proclaims a similar theory. Bush and his minions have often invoked the "Long War" and need for continued support Ad infinitum.

Every ruling administration has feed the same line to the American People. Trust Us, they say, You have to put up with hard times, a loss of certain liberties, and sacrifices in order so your sons shall not.

Every generation falls for it, at first because education was a hard thing to come by in early America. Not that people were stupid, far from it. Earlier Americans had to cope with problems people today wouldn't know how to address. But, after education became funded and accessible to all the curriculum needed to be controlled and decided by those in power. Education then became a tool to craft the masses of America into cogs for the Machinery of War or Business. And since the nation was (and still is) controlled by a cadre of Captains of Industry, Governmental Rulers and the Leadership of the Military, children must continually be molded through the patriotic lens of America.

It's a natural human feeling government is exploiting. Mankind has always felt willing to (except for the 70s and 80s when the Baby Boomers decided it was all about them) put up with hardship so their children would not have to. Humans have evolved sense of kinship and feelings of love of family. The military has for years latched onto this natural instinct and attempted to brain wash it's young applicants into identifying with the military as family. Once a Marine, Always a Marine.

What political leadership has done over the years is attempt to expand the idea of family. Patriotism is the effort by which feelings of kinship are transferred to a larger group of people, i.e. America. That's why the Warmongers always invoke the term America to cloak their goals, which quite frankly are continued and expanded war. You and America are the same. Let me assure you, Erik Prince, CEO of Blackwater and Dick Cheney have the same goals and desires as you. Every single one of the 300 million people in the country is the same. War is in Our National Interest.

As Howard Zinn pointed out, "What struck me as I began to study history was how nationalist fervor--inculcated from childhood on by pledges of allegiance, national anthems, flags waving and rhetoric blowing--permeated the educational systems of all countries, including our own." - A People's History of the United state, pg.659.

Patriotism is still exploited today. Genuine feelings of loss, pride, and sorrow are used by the unscrupulous to divide people. Watch Ari Fleschier's (of the infamous Americans better watch what they say) Freedomwatch use the same language I've highlighted:

I'm not going to post the actual videos but a link. Watch the last two videos.