Yesterday I went busking down 16th St Mall in Denver Metro. It was - ZERO degrees celcius, and I thought it would be a good mention in my resume, or as a passing mention in the biography of my exploits and FAR too much thinking and reflecting.

So there I was, dobro and guitar, a little seat to sit on, my pack and a ton of courage. By the time I had walked to the bus stop, my fingers were numb and on fire. It was like they felt riding my bike to school on an early winter morning in NZ. How was I gona play anything.

Fortunately they recovered in the overly warm bus to Civic Center.

Once on the street it was crucial to find a place in the sun, like some kind of reptilian rock star warming up to something.

With great spirit I played for quite a while before anyone put a buck in the case. I had a nice wee note propped up in my guitar case about the birth of the true king, and happy Christmas from a kiwi, not the fruit BUT a New Zealander.

Slowly people took pity on the nicely dressed, obviously cold but smiling kiwi.

The dobro seemed to be the most popular.

The significant memories for that day are………….

• many many torso’s passing with hands in their pockets…………….understandably, and excercising their rights to freedom of choice
• how people try not to see you…….or have any eye contact
• the guy who stopped to play with me, but whose hands were so cold he couldn’t keep time, or follow a chord progression….but he had energy, and made up his songs on the go
• how good the sun felt thru two jackects, two T-Shirts, long johns and mittens on your hands
• the Somali lady who came over and stroked the dobro with a smile
• the street performer who stood and watched the dollars in my guitar case, like it was a steaming roast meal……then he showed me how he pokes 5″ nails down both nostrills
• the old black lady who was waiting at the crossing and hobbled over and put some change in my case.

Of course I played Silent Night so much I could hear Hendrix in a lead break. In the end, playing among all the noise was  very very strange.

On that corner was a lady ringing a bell for the Salavtion Army.

A black homeless guy selling the homeless newspaper.

The light rail tram blowing its horn as it passed…………..

The sound of my thoughts processing the situation, the people passing, stayn positive and in tune, what this said about them and me……all that kinda stuff was just echoing around in my head.

I headed home blessed by the experience, but freezing and with a few bucks, after splitting it with the guy who couldnt stay in time or follow progressions.

Being the processor I am I thought lots about what made America America. Obviously you had the have and have nots passing you all day. It’s surprising who gives money for the joy you are tryn to share.

Most buskers seem weird, dirty or down and out. I was desperate to not appear like that.

I was grateful for the comments people made about my playing, and the giving, and may God bless them. I was not really there for the money, more to just add some light and do something I can do, but I also felt I was worth something for doing that if people so chose too. Hey where’s the spirit of Christmas………..

I so didn’t want to be a beggar. Not from pride BUT just that there is so much of it here, bumming a cigarette, dope, or some change for some reason……..the stories are colourful.

And so to the title, What is America?

I woke to do some research on ‘the formation of American patriotism’, a topic I had been mulling over for a while.

I found this very thought provoking article on that topic and which also touched on some issues to do with Americas development, and the forgetting of its roots and the irrational fear and judgement of the left.

The burning question I have always in my meaderings in Denver is, ‘What makes America America? Of course I have my own theories……..but I am interested in a non kiwi perspective.

The Nation Article             I’d encourage you to read all of this.

So I survived the busking, dunno if I want to punish my heart and hands like that again tho.

At Christmas I should have been thinking about other things.

Perhaps all the lovely decorations, and the obvious revelling in Christmas is only skin deep. It didnt get many hands out of their pockets. BUT I hopped I warmed hearts.

Perhaps that is America, perhaps that is the human race. Individualism gone mad. Long live capitalism.

It cost the old lady most to put those quarters in my case. Perhaps.

In the absence of invites, and more out of conviction, I am going to see if I can serve Christmas dinner at a shelter for the homeless. Its gonna be REAL cold on Xmas day, and I could do with some warmth in my soul that day.

Turning 21 in Australasia  (NZ & Ozzy) is a big deal…..it has various traditions across cultures…………

WELL my daughter turned 21 today and because I am 8000 miles away from her, she is in Australia, I have decided to have a kind of online party. I created a gallery and shared the usual photos and said a few words for the occasion.

Here’s the link.

Rachel’s 21st Birthday Party Online

I am proud of her.

And all my 3 kids.

This morning I had a huge realisation, and as usual it is the culmination of a great deal of thinking going on continually in the background, day and night.

I hope it adds to my live rather than shortening it, like when you were a kid you heard that every kiss takes a day off your life and you decide to stop kissing your mum coz she’s the only one you ever kiss. Those were the days.

If my time is shortened from all my ruminating on life, this is goodbye becoz my number must be up real soon, like maybe tomorrow!

If it adds to my life….hey I will be here for a while! In fact I may be immortal by now!

The BIG ‘S‘ word is  S  O   C   I   A   L   I   S   M .

Mention ’socialism’ to the majority of Americans and it’s like the name of Christ in the presence of a demon. PANIC and PEDIGREE, crosses come out, heckles rise and it’s like a scene from the Exorcist. There is some kind of deep inability to mix here.

Of course the election has educated ‘everyone’ on what ’socialism’ is because of Joe The Plumber and Obama’s spread the wealth comment. It’s out now, the truth about socialism, giving hope to some and striking fear into the hearts of others.

Previous to that of course I think everyone was educated on socialism via the Cold War, ’socialism’ = ‘communism’, and fears and political propaganda. (Hoover etc)

One is tempted to find the actual definition. Which I will.

If anything is a ‘no no’ in America it’s spreading or sharing the wealth. (BUT someone told me the other day that America is the most generous nation on earth, I thought per head of capita kiwis were?)

I have come to the conclusion that the pre eminence of the ‘individual’ and the personal freedoms America is supposedly built on, are the basis of this fear of socialism. (intriguing that those rights to freedom don’t extend to the unborn however, but women get a fair share)

Paradox and dichotomy.

The right to freedom of speech, religion, and baring of arms have spawned a society where the individual is ‘king’, so any philosophy that smacks of any kind of self leveling playing field or helping the self determination of others is ‘anti’ American and a threat to the ‘wonderful’ and godly system called ‘democracy’. Unless of course it is politically expedient. Forgive my sarcasm.

In fact if America has been this wonderful social experiment, I would postulate that really what exists now is not as far removed from the lives of the settler over the hundreds of years as they have come here for new lives as proponets of the ‘brave new world’ would have us believe.

Has the experiment worked for most, or worked at all.

I tire of the claims re America being the greatest nation on earth.(Fox Host, Sean Hannity) I have never seen so many homeless people, smokers, beggars, people who are overtly mentally unstable, people with walking sticks, oxygen bottles …………etc

Interesting I have never seen as many fat people either!

In New Zealand I have never seen the pre dominance of such things, yet by popular definition New Zealand would be classed as ’socialist’.

My realisation today is simply this.

Where the ‘cult’ of the individual is idealised and reigns supreme, (not a very democratic pun), anything that threatens ‘individual’ power and opens up ‘ the power of numbers’, is labelled some kind of socialism.

Anything that threatens my individual rights  or involves some kind of government intervention in business, it’s called socialism.

Were it that the ‘responsibilities’ of the individual as important as the ‘rights and freedoms’ of the individual, well meaning Americans might not struggle with the concept of helping others less fortunate for a variety of reasons.

The playing field is not equal, not everybody who is in an unfortunate situation is lazy or not exercised their energy and talents to make a go of it in ‘anything is possible land’.

Not everyone can have the perfect conditions to entertain singing with Frank, ‘I did it my way’.

That seems to be the gross assumption, that anything is possible for anyone. While it can be true, and determination and strength are needed, there is also a lot of fortune involved, regarding timing, context, who’s who etc.

I know its simplistic, but on my own I can effect a limited amount of change even with the ripple effect.

With a whole village involved I can make serious change. And the input is spread.

It’s not making me less indidvidual, that I have less of an identity, or that I am losing any self determination possiblities BUT I am putting my shoulder to the plough with others.

If every American or Kiwi put $1 per week into a fund, that could help pay mortgages,  medical needs etc.

Imagine that.

Socialism in my simplistic model is the power of numbers and the willingness to help fellow citizens.

And if individual’s can’t opt into that, perhaps they need help.

If ‘capitailism’ is ‘GOD’ as a philosophy, (which I tend to think is a Darwin-istic survival of the fittest approach, and which isn’t always wrong), then maybe it needs to be balanced with responsibility,compassion, and giving.

Perhaps ‘the love of money’ is the real problem I am struggling with, and that’s behind Americas fear of socialism, and ugliness.

Note I am not espousing ’socialism’ as an answer……………..just intrigued by America’s fear of it.

Free enterprise/capitalism and elements of socialism like health care can work.

What do you think?

Oh and here’s a couple of definitions.

Socialism
Economic system which is based on cooperation rather than competition and which utilizes centralized planning and distribution.

This content can be found on the following page:
http://www.investorwords.com/4613/socialism.html

1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.

I can see the American aversion to socialism is it’s attachment to Marx and ‘communism’.

In Marxist theory, it went capitalism, socialism the communism, as a progression.

Vigotsky was a Marxist theorist, yet he has impacted education tremendously.

Is the baby in the bathwater?

Not all parts of every theory are wrong or not having some kernel of good or relevance.

Can capitalism and the best parts of socialistic theory or practice co-exist ?

Today as I was walking the Streets of Capitol Hill in Denver, I was deep in thought as usual. But not so deeply in thought that I felt compelled to think about only one thing and chew on it like a dog with a bone. There was lightness in my thinking today but twas about a deadly serious subject, especially to Americans.

As I walked I tried to look at it from different angles and perspectives.

My ruminating topic today was PATRIOTISM and what it is. It comes out in Kiwis in a VERY different way to how it does in Americans, and why was that and was it in itself a good or a bad thing.

That was hours ago and its snowed since then BUT I will try to recapture those thoughts as I walked down Ogden St not worried about taking photos today but having fun thinking.

Why think about patriotism @ all? I don’t know what started it but it was definitely a distillation of many thoughts & feelings I have had while being here.

Perhaps too it was the processing of a really neat evening with some Indian friends and hearing them discuss the recent and historical happenings in India, and their responses to it and the responses of their friends still in India.

During the converstaion and discussion I know I did say that I found it very hard dealing with Americo-centric perspectives on history, contemporary times and the perceived importance of America in all that.

I also confess to watching Fox, Sean Hannity & Bill O Reilly & Greta. I kind of have a love hate relationship with these guys, I am philosphicaly aligned with them  in that I am a conservative, but in other ways they are like little kids who need a dose of discipline that will maybe open their eyes to how little they listen, and how come they got to get to place where they can splurge their worldviews over the planet, and not really listen to others.

Reilly listens to Miller though. I like Miller.

The word ‘patriot’ often comes up with these guys, ‘real ‘Americans, ‘good’ Americans , ‘true’ Americans, or you sir are a ‘patriot’. AND the problem for me is that I know society needs these men, and we probably share the same faiths and talk to the same God, but they really embarrass me with their arrogance, and how little they really listen to others.

BUT lets get back to ‘patriot’ word.

My thoughts kinda ran something like this.

Is a patriot someone who agrees with Hannity and O’Reilly’s world veiw of what an American should be, the values they should hold etc?

Is a patriot someone who fights for their country?

Is it someone who loves their country no matter what and dies for it?

And so it went.

I find myself getting annoyed with Hannity’s views about America being 5% of the worlds population but doing 100% of the worlds policing. All responses to invitation of course!

And quite simply untrue as a statement.

Now I love New Zealand, being a ‘kiwi’, but you will not find me flying the flag at every opportunity, in my back yard or in any converstation reminding those involved how great NZ’s contribution to the world, or the free world has been etc.

Yet I am proud of my country, it’s place in the world, achievements etc and glad to be associated with it.

American patriotism seems to involve assertions like, ‘the most blessed  nation on earth’ one of Sean’s favourites, or ‘America is the greatest nation in the world’….etc

There is no giving of the reference points for such assertions but they are made often and with total belief in them.

Patriotism based on infatuation with an image, unsubstanciated by a track record, to me is ignorant and when repeated over and over, plain U.G.L.Y .

The ugly side of American patriotism is perhaps  the repetition of these statements that have not been reflected on or really thought through, thats why they embarrass me. I have said stuff like that in my own life, grand assertions etc and been red faced when challenged.

For starters those kinds of statements seem to elevate themselves to some higher plane of thinking that automatically invalidates Joe or Jackie citizen feeling that perspective about their beloved Timbucktoo, or the states of outer Patagonia.

Some of us don’t say those kinds of things because we know that though we love our country it has its failings as well, all nations are blessed in some way, and of course your own country is the best.

Is then American patriotism as espoused by Mr Hannity and O’Reilly one of complete denial and blindness to Americas weaknesses and stuff ups in the world. In fact that could be quite a list. Unfortuneately especially from Seanthe view seems to be that weaknesses are always the property of the ‘other’ side of the diverse political spectrum.

I JOKE of course .

God I am glad to come from a country that has more than TWO parties in power. You can’t really count the Independents as creating a Tri-partisan political system in America.

Open your eyes Sean.

So what is a patriot?

The question remains. I will get some definitions and paste them here.

I hope, as much as I love Sean and Bill as fellow human beings, that I will find something that doesn’t have such a cringe factor attached. Good pun, coz Bill’s programme where he spouts his opinions to ‘the folks’ under the guise of journalism is called ‘The Factor’. 

Here’s Seans and Bills websites, you can check them out while I get some light on patriotism by visiting the wise.

Note: These are good men, America needs them, they just need a dose of humility (Bill) and a few years away from America (Sean). Actually Sean needs a Christmas Carol kind of experience with Americas past.

http://hannity.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Hannity

http://www.billoreilly.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_O%27Reilly_(commentator)

Patriot Quotes from the wise.

“Patriot: the person who can holler the loudest without knowing what he is hollering about.” Mark Twain

“One of the great attractions o patriotism - it fulfils our worst wishes. In the person of our nation we are able, vicariously, to bully and cheat. Bully and cheat, what’s more, with a feeling that we are profoundly virtuous.
- Aldous Huxley

“It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind.”Voltaire

“He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend - provided, of course, that he really is dead.”
Voltaire

“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.” Edward Abbey

“True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.” Clarence Darrow

“The time is fast approaching when to call a man a patriot will be the deepest insult you can offer him. Patriotism now means advocating plunder in the interest of the privileged classes of the particular State system into which we have happened to be born.” Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

“A patriot wraps himself around the flag to defend it; a scoundrel wraps it around himself to defend himself” author unknown

“The same ambition can destroy or save, and make a patriot as it makes a knave.” Alexander Pope

“PATRIOT, n. One to whom the interests of a part seem superior to those of the whole. The dupe of statesmen and the tool of conquerors.” Ambrose Bierce

“In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, Brave, Hated, and Scorned. When his cause succeeds however,the timid join him, For then it costs nothing to be a Patriot.”  Mark Twain

“The government is merely a servant — merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.” Mark Twain

“To me a real patriot is like a real friend. Who’s your real friend? It’s the person who tells you the truth. That’s who my real friends are. So, you know, I think as far as our country goes, we need more people who will do that.” Bill Maher

“The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree” Thomas Campbell

“’My country, right or wrong’ is a thing no patriot would ever think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying ‘My mother, drunk or sober.’”  G. K. Chesterton

“A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works.” Bill Vaughn

“Patriotism is voluntary. It is a feeling of loyalty and allegiance that is the result of knowledge and belief. A patriot shows their their patriotism through their actions, by their choice.”  Jesse Ventura

“O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief… for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.” Mark Twain

“What could I do but go with them [Civil War soldiers], or work for them and my country? The patriot blood of my father was warm in my veins.”  Clara Barton

“I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot.” Gary Hart

“Such is the patriot’s boast, where’er we roam, / His first, best country ever is at home.” Oliver Goldsmith

Are you a politician who says to himself: “I will use my country for my own benefit”?…
Or are you a devoted patriot, who whispers in the ear of his inner self: “I love to serve my country as a faithful servant.”? Kahlil Gibran

“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” Adlai Stevenson

“That kind of patriotism which consists in hating all other nations.” Elizabeth Gaskell

“But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or to detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.”
Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg Address November 19, 1863

“What then is the American, this new man?…He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. He becomes an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world.”  Michel Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur

“A thoughtful mind, when it sees a Nation’s flag, sees not the flag only, but the Nation itself; and whatever may be its symbols, its insignia, he reads chiefly in the flag the Government, the principles, the truths, the history which belongs to the Nation which belongs to the Nation that sets it forth.” Henry Ward Beecher

Well I better stop there!

That’s enough to think about and varied enough to upon consumption produce the beginnings of a wholesome definition.

I shall return to this…………….

What do you think the definition of a patriot is?

I’d love to know.