LOL this is big-brain time in MAGA land for sure

It’s really quite astounding

Saw that one coming, I knew the politics stream hated the women's team, especially the lesbian star. They're only happy if you love America unconditionally. No one can want America to be better because it's already perfect.

Magatanians are not Americans.

Definitely dislike the kneeling for the anthem. Stand for your country. But it sucks that they lost. They were my team...and to the Canadians of all people!!! 🇺🇸

In a way, kneeling could be thought of as more respectful, like bending the knee to your king. I wouldn't agree with them sitting during the anthem.

Or like kneeling in church.

If kneeling was the norm for showing respect then I'd be 100% down with it...but I'm pretty sure it's meant as a sign of dis-respect. Flawed as the nation may be, the flag represents universal ideals. Disrespect it and you're essentially spitting on the ideal of, "liberty and justice for all."

That's how it's perceived, anyways.

They could be doing worse, if you think about it. I see kneeling as a respectful "I disagree with my country but still loyal to it"

Sure. I'm not saying kneeling for the flag is like burning one...but if I believed you should kneel if you think the country is flawed then we should all be kneeling.

They want to do it? Go ahead. But I definitely can't say I respect them for that action.

I don't think most people are asking you to. I think contention with the left raises within the notion that people are saying they shouldn't be practicing their right to free speech. But honestly? I'm glad we can show to the world how free our direct really is, the envy of the world that our athletes can express themselves without fear of reprisal from the government. Russia would kill you.

Agreed. I want everyone to stand because I want everyone to appreciate the fact we recognize our flaws and make working to fix them a core part of being American...I don't want people to think they should stand or be thrown into the slammer.

For better or worse, it's not our government our athletes need to be afraid of, it's our citizens who are throwing them death threats for doing this. In protest to say respect my first amendment, I shall kneel in reverence of the flag

Do as you please.

I'm not totally sure of the women's team's goals and motivations, but I suppose it could be possible that some of them mean it as disrespect.

So all those people kneeling in church are disrespecting God?

Ahahahahahaha no.

The difference, my friend, is the virtue of our two kneeling groups.

Despite the subject matter, I'm NOT talking about the "do good deeds" nice-person-at-church virtue. In rhetoric, a virtuos person meets the expectations of the audience. (Meeting audience expectations is called 'decorum' in rhetoric).

Donald Trump, for example, has impeccable virtue with his base.

People in Church kneel because kneeling before God is the norm. However, we don't usually kneel before the flag as a sign of respect. Doing so in fact violates the decorum of a huge swathe of the American audience. People of virtue are expected to stand for it because the flag itself stands for the perfect ideal of liberty and justice for all.

The soccer players, in kneeling for the flag rather than standing, are not therefore being virtuous because they evidently have an issue with those ideals.

Liberty and justice for all has been a slow work in progress, and we're much better now than in the past. I doubt the soccer players have an issue with those ideals, but may be pushing for even more progress toward perfection.

Nothing wrong with that motive, but it's still a slap in the face to those of us who stand for the flag precisely because we work every day to make this country better and more inclusive.

I guess there could be better ways to voice their displeasure, partly because pissing off a big chunk of the population is counterproductive.

Exactly. By all means, leverage your status as a top U.S athlete to spread your message! Go on a speaking tour. Go on the news. Start a facebook page or blog. But don't go kneeling in front of the flag that stands for liberty and justice for all. Stand for those ideals, compete proudly to show the world we're the best at soccer (and laugh as they cry at us for not calling it "football"), and prove that you're proud to be part of a country that always strives for a more perfect union.

Just my $0.02.

Especially when equality was already offered to them... and they refused.
The judge said, "The WNT [Women's National Team] rejected an offer to be paid under the same pay-to-play structure as the MNT [Men's National Team]"
https://www.npr.org/2020/05/02/849492863/federal-judge-dismisses-u-s-womens-soccer-team-s-equal-pay-claim

Finish the quote.

"... the WNT was willing to forgo higher bonuses for other benefits, such as greater base compensation and the guarantee of a higher number of contracted players," Klausner wrote. "Accordingly, Plaintiffs cannot now retroactively deem their CBA worse than the MNT CBA by reference to what they would have made had they been paid under the MNT's pay-to-play structure when they themselves rejected such a structure."

Glad someone followed the link I provided. Thanks Cerebro!

Donald Trump has impeccable virtue with his base because his base primarily consists of f**king idiots.

At least you got my point.

See below.

Only if you are a subject people. Americans aren’t subject people, we don’t kneel to a king. The left want you to kneel to them

One thing I've noticed is that the right seem to be more on the nationalist side, while the left more on the humanist side.

I’ve noticed the democratic socialist are not humanists. They are physical and mental elitist and power hungry in order to dictate to others.

Some of them can be smug and unlikable, but some are just genuinely anti-capitalist.

I remember being sickened by all the less-than-human people who were tweeting their hopes and prayers that Trump would die from Covid. Left-wing moral high ground my big brown bahookie.

Pretending you are for America is the real fraud. People who disrespect the
Country they represent don’t deserve the support of those who stand for that flag and country.

Cultist