What if John Wayne Went To War?

I would disagree with your interpretation. That said, this isn't the place for discussing it.

ETA: I agree with your point about Jean Gabin.

That Communism in the form idealized by Marx and Engels was never really tried is pretty obvious to anyone who has read a bit of Marx. What we've had are variations on Leninism, Stalinism, Maoism and minor isms.
But that was not my point. My point was that there are elements in theoretical communism that are inherently "bad" to people with a different set of values.
So to claim that communism is not bad per se you have to share those values.
If you don't identify with "the proletariat" you're basically facing a "convert or die" ideology that is, for anyone in that position, an existential threat and therefore bad.
 
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[QUOTE="PhilKearny, post: 19030396, member: 10265"

ETA: I agree with your point about Jadin.[/QUOTE]
Jadin being Jean Gabin?
 
What makes you think he didn't consider himself a patriot?
I never said he didn't think of himself as a patriot. He may have well have thought he was a patriot.

However, the patriotism he displayed seemed to be a patriotism of convenience, both shallow and selfish, It's the sort of patriotism that was last resort of scoundrels. He glorified military adventure and profited from glorifying. Yet he refused to take the risk of serving in the military. Indeed, he went to great lengths to avoid duty. That hardly seems patriotic.

Further, he was intolerant. if you haven't read Wayne's infamous Playboy intervieew. He reveals himself to be a narrow-minded bigot. I don't regard narrow-minded bigotry as patriotism.
 
And I here I was, showing up to make a Full Metal Jacket joke, and I find my fellow posters arguing about Communism.

God bless America, am I right?
 
Jadin being Jean Gabin?
Oopsie. Yessir. Thanks for pointing out my error. I'll fix it. I'm a poor typist and editor.[/QUOTE]
It was an actual question, not just a cheap shot, you could be referring to some Marxist scholar I had quoted unintentionally.:)
That said, the US actors equivalent to Gabin's "on the beaches" quote would be in answer to "where were you in the McCarthy days?" a man like Bogart could say: "Standing by my friends" Wayne could not.
 
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