# Bush: "Mission Accomplished" Anniversary is now "Loyalty Day". **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 1, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045 "2004-05-01T22:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/1 "2004-05-01T22:09:58Z")
Maybe we should call it “Orwell Day” instead. [Here’s the official proclamation](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040430-15.html). Just remember, kids, ignorance is strength. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/2 "2004-05-01T22:19:08Z")
Wow. That’s incredibly lame. “Loyalty Day”. Blech. Kind of gives me the willies to think that the government is trying to make a holiday out of the notion that people are loyal to the state. But hey, the Russkies had May Day. Can’t agree with Bush on this one even a little bit. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/3 "2004-05-01T22:21:39Z")
Interesting that Bush has chosen for “Loyalty Day” the date of May 1 – which has traditionally belonged to the Communists, and which even non-Communists celebrate as “Labor Day” in many European countries. The tradition dates back to the first congress of the Second International in 1889. I can’t find a cite, but I have read that when the U.S. Congress designated the first Monday in September as Labor Day in 1894, they chose the date to consciously dissociate the American version of Labor Day from the socialist movements. Apparently Bush isn’t satisfied even with that; he has to co-opt the holiday entirely. I also note that Bush’s proclamation “call[s] upon government officials to display the flag of the United States on all government buildings on Loyalty Day.” WTF? I’ve never seen a federal, state or local government building in the U.S. that **didn’t** have an American flag on display every day of the year. I predict that “Loyalty Day” will last exactly as long as Bush’s administration and will not be celebrated, nor even remembered, after he leaves office. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/4 "2004-05-01T22:22:25Z")
Lets make it an early spring Halloween! Dress the kiddies up in little flight suits. They can go to neighbor’s houses. They’ll carry little paper bags marked “WMD” (empty, of course) to “terrorize” the neighbor, who will present them with a signed check made out to America and/or the RNC (amounts to be filled in as required). But seriously folks…there is a long history of various proclamations for May 1, as it was/is the traditional day for Labor/Lefty celebration, and Commie type agitation. You’ll find it in your high school history books, in the paragraph devoted to the Labor Movement. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/5 "2004-05-01T22:22:25Z")
Look at me, I’m so loyal to America that I’m going to help vote that asshat out of office! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/6 "2004-05-01T22:24:33Z")
Orwell is a tad obvious. I think it’s very Kim Jong-Il. Blah, now I have to find something disloyal to do because I’m such a contrary jerk. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/7 "2004-05-01T22:38:23Z")
Wow what conspicuously bad timing. This is utterly vacuous. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/8 "2004-05-01T22:45:04Z")
I’m telling on every one of you to Mr. Ashcroft. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/9 "2004-05-01T22:47:42Z")
Don’t bother. He already knows. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/10 "2004-05-01T22:51:12Z")
> **[Loyalty Day](https://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Loyalty+Day)** > > Wikipedia article about Loyalty Day ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/11 "2004-05-01T22:56:20Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Wow. That’s incredibly lame. “Loyalty Day”. Blech. Who are you, and what have you done with the real **Sam Stone?** :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/12 "2004-05-01T23:34:20Z")
What Reeder said. Here’s one of Clinton’s Loyalty Day Proclamation: [http://www.uhuh.com/laws/pc-loyalty.htm](http://www.uhuh.com/laws/pc-loyalty.htm) And here’s a discussion from last year that I found doing a quick Google search: [http://seclists.org/lists/politech/2003/May/0020.html](http://seclists.org/lists/politech/2003/May/0020.html) ---
**Author:** ![Salviati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Salviati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salviati)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/13 "2004-05-01T23:49:29Z")
I was going to complain that they could of at least come up with a better name, but apparently “Loyalty Day” IS an improvement, the original name was “Americanization Day” ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty\_Day](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty_Day)), which sounds like its celebrating some sort of ethnic clensing campaign. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/14 "2004-05-02T01:08:27Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > What Reeder said. Here’s one of Clinton’s Loyalty Day Proclamation: [http://www.uhuh.com/laws/pc-loyalty.htm](http://www.uhuh.com/laws/pc-loyalty.htm) You don’t say. Hey, does anyone wonder what happened to the last liar who tried this shit in GD? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/15 "2004-05-02T01:17:18Z")
Loyalty can’t possibly be an absolute good in and of itself. What are you loyal to? Millions of Japanese were loyal to the Emporer and likewise Germans to Hitler. Even Mafia hoods are loyal to their group, at least most of the time. The Supreme Court’s 1 vote majority has put the country in the hands of fools. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/16 "2004-05-02T02:05:05Z")
> [@manhattan](#): > > You don’t say. > > Hey, does anyone wonder what happened to the last liar who tried this shit in GD? Hey, you’re right, Sunshine; it _is_ GD. Care to explain then what you mean by “this shit”, and just who you’re calling a “liar”? There seems to be an insinuation in your post that _someone_, probably the OP, has attempted something bad which will possibly lead, or has in the past led to something bad happening in return to the perpetrator of the “shit”, it being so obviously improper and all. Whatever could you be trying to tell us so indirectly? Is there an accusation you’d like to make? It just doesn’t seem quite… conservative to hide moral outrage behind indirect and deniable language. Or very mature. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/17 "2004-05-02T02:07:50Z")
Manny, you’re not a mod anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/18 "2004-05-02T02:12:19Z")
> [@manhattan](#): > > You don’t say. > > Hey, does anyone wonder what happened to the last liar who tried this shit in GD? Manny, your post is ambiguous. Who are you accusing of lying? And why? If it’s me, I did provide a couple of cites. And if it’s the OP, there’s no evidence of deliberate lying, although there’s plenty of evidence of not actually checking the facts before posting… ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/19 "2004-05-02T02:12:44Z")
> [@manhattan](#): > > You don’t say. > > Hey, does anyone wonder what happened to the last liar who tried this shit in GD? You do realize of course that many people don’t know about the earlier loyalty days. Tell us truthfully…did you? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045/20 "2004-05-02T04:11:18Z")
> [@manhattan](#): > > You don’t say. > Hey, does anyone wonder what happened to the last liar who tried this shit in GD? Yeah, I do occasionally. However, although I couldn’t find a credible source for the content of **Finagle’s** link, I _did_ find a [1996 loyalty day proclamation by Clinton](http://clinton6.nara.gov/1996/04/1996-04-30-loyalty-day.html) at the national archives. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-mission-accomplished-anniversary-is-now-loyalty-day/243045.md?page=2)