Rome, Paris, London, Indianapolis?

[blitzcon]

Having been raised in Indiana, and having been to this monument, I thought this article was interesting:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/higgs/higgs78.html

Comments

I['ve] See[n] England, I['ve] See[n] France

[archlords]

Having also been raised in Indiana, and not having even heard of that monument, I didn't.

[ladybronwyn]

Yeah, it is kind of an ugly monument. But I would say that it's not particularly unusual. Very few monuments are erected to demonstrate ambiguous or peace-loving messages. The Vietnam memorial wall is one. There's some peace shrine thing in Japan too that's particularly anti-nuclear. Those are about the only well-known ones.

It is a funny thing, 'peace-loving' people. Putin says the same thing about Russians, in fact. 'We are peace-loving but we need to be strong' more or less. This is nationalism talking. The world as a whole apparently values peace (in a symbolic way), just as it apparently values democracy. Hence rhetoric from most states about how they are peace-loving and democratic (hey, even Saddam Hussein held elections!). But this is more or less a game of manipulating public opinion, domestically and internationally.

[ladybronwyn]

Ah, Japan: http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/top_e.html

[blitzcon]

I only wish Americans were as embarassed about their past (and present) imperialism as the Japanese are.

Or the Germans.

Monuments to Ass Kicking

[anonymous]

I'm saving up for a tour of the Middle East to seek out standing monuments fo beheadings, stonings, and forced circumsisions by those gloriusly peaceful folks.......