Socialism's core values

[Lootifer]

Haha, just re-read my reply. Didn't mean to come across so antagonistic and "we're so great tralalalala".

Firstly I would argue that ANZAC day is simply a day of remembrance. No trying to influence, signal how great we are or celebrate our wonderful ideals, simply a day to remember those who gave their lives in defense of our country.

Secondly no government is going to be representative of the people. Sure in an ideal world it would be, but the government represents the collective, and the collective is not representative of the individual. This will always be the case in a diverse and free thinking population.

Finally, I personally think that the government should be devoid of people. Government should be a collection of ideals that the population have elected through democratic process. One this government has been elected, officials should be recruited for and appointed like you would any other job (highest level appointments would be made by something like the supreme court or whatever - a panel of specifically entrusted neutral officials).

[mrswdk]

Haha, just re-read my reply. Didn't mean to come across so antagonistic and "we're so great tralalalala".

Firstly I would argue that ANZAC day is simply a day of remembrance. No trying to influence, signal how great we are or celebrate our wonderful ideals, simply a day to remember those who gave their lives in defense of our country.

Some of those soldiers being remembered died defending their country. I don't recall Vietnam, Korea or Afghanistan ever issuing threats against New Zealand.

War remembrance events are just an opportunity for governments to stoke nationalism and generate support for their own geopolitical interests. In Western countries, this takes the form of telling everyone that it's great and noble to die fighting a war that has been entered into purely to serve the government's own ends.

Anyone who marks ANZAC Day, Remembrance Day etc. is buying into government propaganda in exactly the same way as someone who gets taken in by any other propaganda.

Secondly no government is going to be representative of the people. Sure in an ideal world it would be, but the government represents the collective, and the collective is not representative of the individual. This will always be the case in a diverse and free thinking population.

Finally, I personally think that the government should be devoid of people. Government should be a collection of ideals that the population have elected through democratic process. One this government has been elected, officials should be recruited for and appointed like you would any other job (highest level appointments would be made by something like the supreme court or whatever - a panel of specifically entrusted neutral officials).

Your system involves an unrepresentative government managing a society according to an unrepresentative set of ideals, which doesn't sound much different from the reasons you gave for criticizing the Chinese government's 'core values' campaign.

[waauw]

War remembrance events are just an opportunity for governments to stoke nationalism and generate support for their own geopolitical interests. In Western countries, this takes the form of telling everyone that it's great and noble to die fighting a war that has been entered into purely to serve the government's own ends.

Bullshit. In my country we have WWI and WWII remembrance ceremonies mostly for other countries and not just our allies of the time but even our enemies of the time, the germans.
Tell me, how do you propagate nationalism when talking about other nations' soldiers.
It is possible to just seek the historical value, remember its disasters and offer a ceremony so survivors or family members can mourn the events(whatever country they're from). In fact in many cases it's just about tourism. Not all war remembrance events are about nationalism.

[Lootifer]

Your system involves an unrepresentative government managing a society according to an unrepresentative set of ideals, which doesn't sound much different from the reasons you gave for criticizing the Chinese government's 'core values' campaign.

Nah im just suggesting putting posters up is stupid.

[mrswdk]

Your system involves an unrepresentative government managing a society according to an unrepresentative set of ideals, which doesn't sound much different from the reasons you gave for criticizing the Chinese government's 'core values' campaign.

Nah im just suggesting putting posters up is stupid.

You just haven't seen the right poster yet.