“Thanksgiving Day, a function which originated in New England two or three centuries ago when those people recognized that they really had something to be thankful for — annually, not oftener — if they had succeeded in exterminating their neighbors, the Indians, during the previous twelve months instead of getting exterminated by their neighbors, the Indians.
Thanksgiving Day became a habit, for the reason that in the course of time, as the years drifted on, it was perceived that the exterminating had ceased to be mutual and was all on the white man’s side, consequently on the Lord’s side; hence it was proper to thank the Lord for it and extend the usual annual compliments.”
— Mark Twain

Mr. Twain’s little tweet is my standard Thanksgiving Day dictum in appreciation for one of the US’ most false-fronted celebrations — a homage to excess, an American tradition.

Thanksgiving, however, takes way-second place to Christmas, the biggest Santa Claus-lie of all — but that’s another day.

President Obama let it be known yesterday as he pardoned an honorary Thanksgiving bird: “The turkey’s name is Liberty, and along with his understudy named Peace he has the distinction of being the luckiest bird on the face of the earth. Right now, he’s probably one of the most confused.”

(Illustration found here).

Confused is an understatement — talk about one f*cked-up illegal-immigration policy.
Most US schoolchildren haven’t a clue to the horror those early English settlers hammered onto the native peoples of North America — quoting from the Bible while savagely slaughtering with gun and sword.
And it wasn’t just fighting and defeating Native Americans — the numerous campaigns called for the use of  “massacre” to defeat them.

William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth, wrote: “Those that escaped the fire were slain with the sword; some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so that they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped.
It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time.
It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire…horrible was the stink and scent thereof, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them.”

Some Thanksgiving — ‘victory seemed a sweet sacrifice‘ and now we can eat.

And nowadays it’s really ‘thanksgiving’ with a much-much-smaller ‘t.’
From CBS News: Nearly 15 percent of Americans are now receiving food stamps, a record level, and a jump of about two-thirds since 2007. One in SIX Americans – 49 million people – say they have trouble putting food on the table.
Welcome to the celebration of the ‘new poor:’

“The new poor could be you, me, your neighbor, your church member, somebody who has been affected by the economy,” she said.
“Many of our people who have come for assistance used to be our donors.
And they’ll say, ‘I never thought I’d have to do this, never in my wildest dreams.'”

The ‘she’ above is Sandy Beaver, who heads The Place, the biggest non-profit center for social services in Forsyth County, near Atlanta, Ga., where despite the ‘new poor‘ being inflicted, The average household here earns $88,000 – the highest in Georgia, 13th highest in America.

So now when one eats that turkey leg this afternoon, one should at least scream between bites, “I’m eating a lie!”
History, duh!