"Your soldiers are not warriors any longer, they are just servants." "The whole process of the military is to destroy intelligence because an intelligent person will not be able to kill. And an intelligent person will ask a thousand and one questions before killing somebody for no reason at all."  

"What are the prisons that I call “home?” Osho Rajineesh.  

Back in the day the games just started. But after 9/11 elite whites and their media began to directly sell us patriotism and force showing the national anthem.

Rather than organic, wholesome expressions of patriotism — the kind Trump has claimed NFL players are disrespectfully protesting — the tradition of players standing for the national anthem is a recent tradition that may have coincided with a marketing ploy meant to sell cheap, manufactured nationalism.

As recently as 2015, the Department of Defense was doling out millions to the NFL for such things as military flyovers, flag unfurlings, emotional color guard ceremonies, enlistment campaigns, and — interestingly enough — national anthem performances. Additionally, according to Vice, the NFL’s policy on players standing for the national anthem also changed in 2009, with athletes “encouraged” thereafter to participate. Prior to that, teams were not given any specific instructions on the matter; some chose to remain in the locker room until after opening ceremonies were completed. (It’s unclear whether the policy change was implemented as a direct result of any Defense Department contracts.)

In 2015, Arizona Sens. Jeff Flake (R) and John McCain (R) revealed in a joint oversight report that nearly $5.4 million in taxpayer dollars had been paid out to 14 NFL teams between 2011 and 2014 to honor service members and put on elaborate, “patriotic salutes” to the military. Overall, they reported, “these displays of paid patriotism [were] included within the $6.8 million that the Department of Defense (DOD) [had] spent on sports marketing contracts since fiscal year 2012.” [MORE]

According to Dr. Blynd in FUNKTIONARY:

Patriotism: the degree of voluntary servitude evinced.2) the result of one successful treason - until the next one is necessary. 3) re-inforced mindless symbolic conformism. (See U.S. citizen, Treason, USA, Corporate State, Nation, U.S. Senate, Country, Congress, Constitution & Human Resources). 

Pledge of Allegiance - (to the Federal Flag)—did not exist until 1892. The pledge of allegiance was written by a flag manufacturer and merchant, Francis Bellamy, ostensibly for a boy's magazine entitled "'The Youth's Companion," as part of a promotion (to sell his wares) celebrating the fictitious Pirate's Day (Columbus Day). Next time someone wants you to pledge allegiance to the flag, better think about the God-given rights you are waiving instead of watching the flag waving. (See: National Flag, Citizen of the United States. Rights, Congress, Slavery, US. Citizen, Allegiance & Citizens) 

soldiers - tools (living human resources—walking fodder); corporate mercenaries used by the legistraitors, wordsymthologists, journalists, and politicians to impose the will of their Corporate masters and imperialistic soothsayers (i.e., Crimethlnc.).  "It is impossible to give the soldier a good education without making him a deserter.  His natural foe is the government that drills him." ~H.D. Thoreau.  Anyone overstanding the real cost of war (not counting the costs of perpetrating it) and the fictitious nature of Corporate State and the real benefactors behind the scenes—has to become a conscientious objector or an enemy outpost in one's own (controlled by another) mind. The ideologues of vanity manipulate the power-hungry purveyors of profit-motive insanity into perpetrating crimes against humanity. (See: GI Bill, Citizen DUPE, CABS, Class, Mass & Souldier)