On Patriotism
Jeff Alworth
As an addendum to Chris Lowe's wonderful rumination on patriotism below (a must-read), here are a few other famous and not-so-famous quotes about patriotism.
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots. [Barbara Ehrenreich]
I do not mean to exclude altogether the idea of patriotism. I know it exists, and I know it has done much in the present contest. But I will venture to assert, that a great and lasting war can never be supported on this principle alone. It must be aided by a prospect of interest, or some reward. [George Washington]
Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. [Teddy Roosevelt]
Indeed, conceit, arrogance, and egotism are the essentials of patriotism. Let me illustrate. Patriotism assumes that our globe is divided into little spots, each one surrounded by an iron gate. Those who have had the fortune of being born on some particular spot, consider themselves better, nobler, grander, more intelligent than the living beings inhabiting any other spot. [Emma Goldman]
My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy! [Thomas Jefferson]
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. [Mark Twain]
A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the sound of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. [Jawaharlal Nehru]The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naïve and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair. [HL Mencken]
Happy Independence Day--
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Jul 4, '08
Other comments on patriotism worth considering:
Robert Scheer on pretended patriotism.
John Nichols onthis day, and the future, belongs to patriots.
Matthew Rothschild on "Why I'm not a Patriot."
12:52 p.m.
Jul 4, '08
As someone who regularly has felt my patriotism impugned, I am spending a big chunk of my Independence Day registering voters at our Stand for Children booth at the Happy Valley 4th of July Family Festival. Guess who wanted to set up camp next to our table ? None other than Rep. Linda Flores campaign ! We said " Great! Brent Barton's campaign will be here at our table today as well!" They decided to move to another location.
Jul 4, '08
Devil's Dictionary: patriotism A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce n. Combustible rubbish read to the torch of any one ambitious to illuminate his name. In Dr. Johnson's famous dictionary patriotism is defined as the last resort of a scoundrel. With all due respect to an enlightened but inferior lexicographer I beg to submit that it is the first.
1:51 a.m.
Jul 5, '08
thanks Jeff, and Bill, for food for thought (though the comments at John Nichols' piece are something else). And thanks for the laugh Chuck.
Jul 5, '08
I just became an HL Mencken fan.
Jul 5, '08
I think society needs to return to the days when there were explicit tests of patriotism, if it matters to you. I mean it really is glorifying troupe mentatlity, but, given that...
The prob. is that you can just boldly proclaim that you are patriotic, regardless of behavior. There and then behavior. Case in point: Being heckled at Monticello, Shrub said that in America we have free speech and that makes him patriotic. As he is saying this, the heckler is being physically dragged off and charged. Was it free speech because he wasn't shot on sight?
As long as you can just proclaim it- whether you are a draft doger or not- it will have no meaning.
Jul 6, '08
I just became an HL Mencken fan.
<h2>If you like Mencken you'll probably love Walter Karp. See also Harper's which offers a four-volume retrospective, one of the best bargains in political history.</h2>