Post for Week 6, 9/26/2012: Nationalism

  This week, we saw a video taking an inside look at the normal lives of North Korean citizens through a documentary about girls who performed for the leader of their nation in an event called the Mass Games. It was reminescent to the events from the previous week concerning Hitler's propaganda for Nazi Germany. This video was highly interesting and invoked questions about my own country and culture, and what it does to promote the idea of nationalism.
 Searching the web for ideas, I came across these two pictures in an article on NPR.org:







  I won't go into the details of the article, but it does mention that there is ' a swell of nationalism in the years following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.'
  What I find particularly interesting about these two pictures is the similarity in which both of these citizens decided to adorn themselves to show their pride in their nation. One man took a complex route, crafting an entire body suit in American colors and proudly waiving an American flag during a game. But his face is cover; is he really proud, or did he cover his face to hide embarrassment if anyone he knew found out? Why did he cover himself so completely? Now, take a look at the other gentleman; you can't see everything, but he is obviously shirtless and his tattoo is displayed prominently on his neck. It features a 100% American on the top, if you have trouble guessing why he go the tattoo in the first place. He comes across very individualistic, yet his image shows America as a barcode that marks him as one of many. How strange that for someone who appears independent and individualistic would choose an icon that merges him with not being separate. It is even possible to say that it is corporate in its nature.

Here is the article if you wish to read it:

Article: http://www.npr.org/2011/09/28/140869378/americas-love-affair-with-nationalism