Art, Film, America and Stolen Patriotism

Film, the art form inspired by Sir Joshua Reynolds,?invented by Thomas Edison and developed in a humble studio in NJ:

From 2022:?The American film industry is proof of the success of American ideas in scaling globally. From a modest film studio in New Brunswick, NJ, Edison led the extraordinary expansion of American culture and ideas - the American imagination, a purpose in which he was supported financially by J. Pierpont Morgan.?

In his recent film Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan depicts President Truman as a fool. In one scene Truman dismisses Oppenheimer as a wimp.?

At about the same time, another film called Barbie was screened. A comparison of Oppenheimer and Barbie inevitably occurred. This comparison was called Barbenheimer:

Shakira, now 47, critiqued the film Barbie, claiming that to her two young sons, it portrayed an emasculated Ken:

Stolen Valor, Stolen Patriotism?

A bit later, Sir Ridley Scott’s film Napoleon was shown. The French described Scott’s portrayal of Napoleon as inspired by Ken and Barbie:?

The Trivialization of American Democracy, Patriotism and Valor

Today, our superficiality reinforces the ability of our foes to portray us, the U.S, as wimps:

?Profiles in Courage 2 and Stolen Valor

In a blistering statement given to The Atlantic, former Secretary of Defense and General Jim Mattis sharply criticized President Donald Trump and his handling of the unrest following George Floyd's death.

Mattis, who has largely kept his thoughts of the president to himself, accused Trump of trying to divide the country and even implied he's a threat to the US Constitution.

“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us," he wrote.

Resignation

James N. Miller, a former principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy resigned from the Defense Department's science board.

His reasoning centered on President Donald Trump's visit to St. John's Church, where police cleared protesters with tear gas so that he could pose with a Bible for photographs:

Defense Secretary Mark Esper was also present during the visit.

“You may not have been able to stop President Trump from directing this appalling use of force, but you could have chosen to oppose it," Miller wrote to Esper in his resignation letter, which was obtained by The Washington Post. "Instead, you visibly supported it."

A one-page memo from Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking U.S. military officer, reminded leaders of the armed forces of their oath to uphold the values of the Constitution, an admonition that came amid concern that President Trump would order active-duty troops onto American streets for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Patriotism

A Little History?

U.S. National Archives: On April 1, 1945, more than 60,000 US Marines and soldiers of the US Tenth Army stormed ashore at Okinawa, in the final island battle before an anticipated invasion of mainland Japan. After a largely unopposed initial advance, US forces soon encountered a network of Japanese inland defenses. Savage fighting erupted at the island’s southern end. Heavy rains and rugged terrain impeded easy movement, and natural defense positions covered the island. A vicious land, sea, and air battle raged for nearly three months. Like the bloodshed on Iwo Jima, Okinawa’s savagery suggested a terrible death toll could follow in the anticipated invasion of Japan’s home islands.?

While US Marines overcame Japanese defenses in northern Okinawa by April 18, opposition in the south proved formidable. The Japanese anchored their defenses at historic Shuri Castle:

supported by a series of well-defended high ridges. These defenses, and sporadic Japanese counterattacks, held up the American advance. Finally, under relentless assault by the Tenth Army, Shuri Castle fell on May 29, and US Marines seized the airfield at Naha through an amphibious assault commencing on June 4, 1945.?

The US aircraft carrier Bunker Hill burns after being hit by two kamikaze planes within 30 seconds during the Battle of Okinawa, May 11, 1945. (Image: National Archives and Records Administration, 80-G-323712.)

Suicide plane attacks began during preliminary operations on March 26. Five days after the initial landing on April 1, a wave of 355 Japanese army and navy kamikaze aircraft struck the armada of Allied ships supporting the invasion, and further attacks continued into June. By the end of the campaign, Japan would launch almost 2,000 suicide attacks against the invasion fleet, including manned rocket-powered Ohka flying bombs. The attacks tested the nerves of even veteran sailors as 26 ships were sunk and another 164 damaged.?

Dénouement

Casualties: Victory at Okinawa cost more than 49,000 American casualties, including about 12,000 deaths.

It was these deaths and Battle casualties that motivated Truman to use the atom bomb. Truman had served as a U.S. Army captain of artillery and knew what wanton destruction war caused.?

and then there were 3:?

Again!?

My Comment: History verifies the extraordinary valor of American soldiers engaged in combat. Russia has now formed a triad with Iran and China as a direct challenge to the U.S. Putin has utilized propaganda and has used Russian culture and mythology to convince the Russian people of the righteousness of his Ukrainian campaign despite Russian atrocities, the enormous casualties Russia has sustained. Just as at the time of Napoleon and Hitler, it is assumed that the Russian ability to endure death, pain and suffering, will defeat the American wimp - an absurd misreading of American history and misconception of the American character:

of American Patriotism and Valor.

I took the Oath too!