God Bless America

[Fulanito de Tal]

WTF does "God Bless America" mean? I really don't understand this phrase. I would like to know because when people say that, I don't know how to react. It's like if someone said to me, "Super flying cosmos." I'm thinking, "Okay, whatever."

[Thirsty Crow]

WTF does "God Bless America" mean? I really don't understand this phrase. I would like to know because when people say that, I don't know how to react. It's like if someone said to me, "Super flying cosmos." I'm thinking, "Okay, whatever."

It means "let's hope that American global hegemony remains intact". Even the land of the free may require divine intervention when it comes to all the evil forces which plot its doom.

[hatzel]

I have a strange feeling this thread is going to be a lot more 'chit-chat' than 'religion'...that is, if anybody even bothers to make a comment. Why did I bother? I'm wasting my life here, people! :(

[GPDP]

American patriotism has, at least since the fifties, taken on a very religious, if not messianic tone. Many Americans like to think of themselves as God's chosen people in the vein of the Jews in the Bible.

While I'm sure the phrase goes back further, it really took on a life of its own and became a staple of mainstream discourse after World War II and going into the Cold War with them godless commies.

[Omsk]

I think the saying got popular from the song "God bless America".Im not sure though.

[GPDP]

I think the saying got popular from the song "God bless America".Im not sure though.

I wanted to say as much, but I wasn't completely sure. A quick Google search points to that being the origin of the phrase, though.

Still, when people and especially politicians say it, it's not referring to the song. I think uttering the phrase does two things: cements politicians as men of God in the eyes of religious voters, and at the same time drill America's mission as having a divine purpose into the heads of people.

While many ordinary Americans say it all the time, politicians are definitely wedded to the phrase most of all. For instance, the president cannot, and I can't stress this enough, cannot finish a speech without saying God Bless America at the end. To do so would be a tremendous faux pas and is sure to land him a ton of negative press. Hell, remember when Obama was lambasted because he didn't wear a fucking flag pin during the presidential campaign?

You have to remember the American political process and discourse is rife with silly, even quasi-religious rituals that must be followed, and appealing to the unholy (or should I say holy?) combination of religion and nationalism that passes for American patriotism is crucial for maintaining bourgeois hegemony here in the states.

[ComradeMan]

Don't most countries where there is some sort of prominent religion call for blessings on the land from whatever higher power(s) they recognise? It's a pretty damn old idea. Although I do find American patriotism overbearing, jingoistic, ignorant and arrogant very often, I don't think you can single out Americans for saying "God bless America" as such.

[Rafiq]

I would continue to ask why America should be blessed by the flying invisible man in the sky, instead of a country like, say, sweden, which in my opinion is much better.

[GPDP]

Don't most countries where there is some sort of prominent religion call for blessings on the land from whatever higher power(s) they recognise? It's a pretty damn old idea. Although I do find American patriotism overbearing, jingoistic, ignorant and arrogant very often, I don't think you can single out Americans for saying "God bless America" as such.

It's not the phrase itself so much as the uniquely American connotations, presuppositions, and thinly-veiled implications behind it. While it is true many people around the world probably say such things, you have to remember we're dealing with a world superpower here, which actually has the ability to destroy the world thousands of times over and (at least until relatively recently) can do what it damn well pleases at any time and at any place.

I think it helps to distinguish between the relatively harmless usage of the phrase, wherein people feel grateful for living in "the greatest country on earth" (though I'd question how they could possibly know that unless they've been all over the world), and the jingoistic, messianic, even imperialist usage of the phrase, which sees the US as not only being the greatest, but rightfully so.

[ComradeMan]

It's not the phrase itself so much as the uniquely American connotations, presuppositions, and thinly-veiled implications behind it. While it is true many people around the world probably say such things, you have to remember we're dealing with a world superpower here, which actually has the ability to destroy the world thousands of times over and (at least until relatively recently) can do what it damn well pleases at any time and at any place.

I think it helps to distinguish between the relatively harmless usage of the phrase, wherein people feel grateful for living in "the greatest country on earth" (though I'd question how they could possibly know that unless they've been all over the world), and the jingoistic, messianic, even imperialist usage of the phrase, which sees the US as not only being the greatest, but rightfully so.

I agree with what you are saying however I have never been convinced that the US was such a superpower- they are because everyone says they are. Let's face it, if any nuclear power went crazy- France for example, it could destroy the world! Does it matter if you have 200 warheads, 300 warheads or 1000 warheads when you get to that point? Anyway, leaving aside weaponry that would probably (let's hope) never be used, I am not so sure how much of a superpower "the" superpower really is.

[GPDP]

I agree with what you are saying however I have never been convinced that the US was such a superpower- they are because everyone says they are. Let's face it, if any nuclear power went crazy- France for example, it could destroy the world! Does it matter if you have 200 warheads, 300 warheads or 1000 warheads when you get to that point? Anyway, leaving aside weaponry that would probably (let's hope) never be used, I am not so sure how much of a superpower "the" superpower really is.

Eh, perhaps I shouldn't have brought nukes into the discussion. The US's real power comes from its economic prowess, not so much its military might.

In any case, what worries me about the whole God Bless America business is that many Americans, and even some politicians have something of a Messiah complex, and consider the US to be the rightful leader of the world. You see this kind of mentality all the time among the far-right and the Tea Party. It's kind of the same thing when people start chanting "USA USA USA USA USA!" Maybe it's just me, but the whole thing kind of gives off a "zieg heil" vibe.

[ComradeMan]

Eh, perhaps I shouldn't have brought nukes into the discussion. The US's real power comes from its economic prowess, not so much its military might.

In any case, what worries me about the whole God Bless America business is that many Americans, and even some politicians have something of a Messiah complex, and consider the US to be the rightful leader of the world. You see this kind of mentality all the time among the far-right and the Tea Party. It's kind of the same thing when people start chanting "USA USA USA USA USA!" Maybe it's just me, but the whole thing kind of gives off a "zieg heil" vibe.

Yeah well that happens everywhere. Do you know how many renditions of the Italian national anthem I hear on a daily basis? :rolleyes: It's also embarassing at times to hear about how we have the most beautiful, best country in the world with the best food, the best fashion, the best cars, the most beautiful women and the greatest historical patrimony and the fact that the Romans practically invented civilisation.... :lol: I am not joking, "benvenuto alla dolce vita"-

The sad thing is that my own personal opinion is that when people keep having to shout "We're the <superlative>!"- what they are actually shouting, subliminally is "We have an enormous inferiority complex"!- just like those kids at school who always had to be better than everyone else and boast about how their dad's car was the fastest.... ;)

[GPDP]

Yeah well that happens everywhere.

Indeed it does, but again, it's particularly scary in the US, given that it's the most powerful country by far. If a jingoistic zealot took over Italy, sure, it would suck for Italians, but hardly for anyone else. If such a person became the US president, however... well, we saw what Bush did.

[Omsk]

Maybe it's just me, but the whole thing kind of gives off a "zieg heil" vibe.
Not a surprise,considering how much nazi's they took after the war.Even more than West-Germans.

[ComradeMan]

Indeed it does, but again, it's particularly scary in the US, given that it's the most powerful country by far. If a jingoistic zealot took over Italy, sure, it would suck for Italians, but hardly for anyone else. If such a person became the US president, however... well, we saw what Bush did.

What do you mean? We "own"? LOL!!! Team Italia.... afterall, there is the little matter of "our thing".... :lol: Fuck, if you watch Italian TV you'd believe, mostly, that the sun rises in Italy and never sets!!! I am not denigrating Italy in her entirety- but still.

BTW the last jingoistic zealot we had did cause a few problems and give some other people some bad ideas....:(

I think "Team Americans", however, are in general guilty of believing their own hype- almost like a nationalistic version of those weird corporate psychology team motivation programmes...

[Vampire Lobster]

Don't most countries where there is some sort of prominent religion call for blessings on the land from whatever higher power(s) they recognise? It's a pretty damn old idea. Although I do find American patriotism overbearing, jingoistic, ignorant and arrogant very often, I don't think you can single out Americans for saying "God bless America" as such.

Not so much, really. At least in Finland, stuff like GOD BLESS FINLAND would be considered extremely corny and/or archaic - it was pretty typical when Finland was still very religious and rural society before 1950s and 1960s. This seems to be true with most European countries really (countries of the UK seem to be kind of an exception) nationalist sentiment certainly does exist but it's not the kind of flag-waving thing you see in the States, and God is usually kept out of that. It's there, but it's not on your face and I seriously can't think of any particular nationalist slogan you'd see thrown around all the time like you see "god bless america" thrown.

[Fulanito de Tal]

In conclusion, it seems to be a slogan used to purvey US nationalism and that the US is the sole country chosen by God to do his/her willing in the world. This counteracts any moral arguments that people may have against US nationalism and intervention as we are conducting the will of the omnipotent creator, judge of all that is moral.

God Bless America™ :rolleyes: