Jenspm wrote:
Rage comics are annoying.
But yes, pledging your flag is v. 1984-esque brainwashing.
I don't know anyone who actually meant it until they've done something like make the pledge of enlistment:
"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."
The pledge of allegiance is repeated so much in public schools that hardly anybody thinks about what they're saying, let alone apply their "allegiance to the flag" (unfortunate wording) to everyday tasks. You learn it when you're too young to understand it and thoughtlessly repeat it by rote.