For violent national anthems
This edition of the comic strip “Get Fuzzy,” about an obnoxious, aggressively rightwing cat and his rather bleeding-heart leftwing owner, reminded me of some of our posturing badass commenters.
Update: Via Graham, here are the 10 most violent national anthems.
Further update: In terms of sheer stirring wrong-headedness, I think none of them tops the official song of my home state Maryland (to the tune of “Oh Tanenbaum”/”The Red Flag”). I remember singing it with pride in fourth grade, with no idea of its meaning. It was written in 1861 by a Confederate sympathizer outraged when Union troops moved through Baltimore. The final verse is classic in its own way:
I hear the distant thunder-hum,
Maryland!
The Old Line’s bugle, fife, and drum,
Maryland!
She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb-
Huzza! she spurns the Northern scum!
She breathes! she burns! she’ll come! she’ll come!
Maryland! My Maryland!
