What is Patriotism?

Photo by sterlinglanier Lanier on Unsplash

Do you love your country?

My assumption, and hope, is that most people answer in the affirmative. If I rephrase the question and ask if you are a patriot, will I also get the same response? Or are some people afraid of the word? Has the term become too loaded over time?

Patriotism

What is patriotism?

I’m in complete agreement with Mark Twain on patriotism. He explained it as “supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”

I too draw a clear distinction between government and country. The two are not the same.

What is a country?

A quick glance at the dictionary will give us an idea. It lists a few definitions:

1. a state or nation.

2. the territory of a nation.

3. the people of a district, state, or nation.

4. the land of one’s birth or citizenship.

I think a country can be any of those things or all of them. To me, a country is the sum of a nation’s people, customs, cultures, language(s), land, etc. A country can’t really be seen on a map because what you see is merely a representation of the territory it possesses. We can’t really even see a country from a plane as we fly over it either. We’re merely seeing one facet of the country —its physical terrain.

In my estimation, it is perfectly natural and acceptable to love one’s country. It’s often tied to a sense of enduring familial heritage and perhaps even ethnic connections. These links should be celebrated rather than denigrated or devalued.

That doesn’t mean that patriotism can’t be weaponized. History is replete with examples in which this has occurred. Taken to an extreme, patriotic expression can become jingoistic. Scheming politicians can use the citizenry’s love for their country to justify all types of actions, whether they be unnecessary wars of aggression or domestic control measures.

This doesn’t mean that patriotism is itself bad but rather drives home the point that it must be well placed. Its orientation must be towards the country and not the government. As I mentioned above, the two are not the same and in some cases, the government may actually undermine, or even directly oppose, its own country. Support for the government should be conditioned upon its actions.

American Patriotism

The US has a huge problem. The government is actively working against the country. It’s not only subjugating the states and the people but it often does so by whittling away at the bedrock principles upon which the republic was founded.

This has not happened overnight. Since the early days of the American Founding, we can see increasing encroachments upon liberty. The states, the sovereign powers that created the central government, have often been complicit in this aggrandizement of power by ceding authorities that otherwise would have been retained. In this way, the states have increased their own corruption and permitted the consolidation of power further away from the people.

Nationalism

This is another word that is often misunderstood. As a term, it may have become even more co-opted than “patriotism.” It’s perfectly reasonable to feel preferential towards one’s own nation. The sentiment itself does not in any way connote hatred towards members of other nations. Are there “nationalists” that may direct hate or vitriol at others? Sure, extremists exist. Criticism should be directed at those individuals and their actions. Nationalism itself is not the problem.

I’m a nationalist. However, in declaring myself a nationalist, I have two important caveats:

1. I’m a nationalist in that I’m a proud American and love my country. I want what’s best for my country and feel loyal to my country above all others. I state that without reservation. After all, it’s my homeland. I feel a sense of heritage to my country. Having said that, I also feel that, as a patriotic American, I have a duty to call bullshit where I see it. For a very long time, the American government has operated in total opposition to its own founding principles and I feel obligated to declare that emphatically. The American government has caused unwarranted misery at home and abroad for reasons and justifications predicated entirely upon lies. To believe otherwise is to be willfully naïve.

2. I’m a nationalist in terms of the perspective of my country vis-à-vis other countries. Within a global paradigm, I’m a nationalist. I’m not a globalist and often find the concept of globalism, despite its flowery rhetoric, to be intentionally destructive towards national sovereignty. In this regard, I find my nationalism perfectly reasonable. To feel otherwise would be incredibly suspect. However, in the US, we have a long history of federalism. That was one of the core principles of the Founding period but has long since been forgotten. The states created our central government; after all, it was the states that ratified the Constitution which put into effect the government outlined in it. The erosion of federalism and the associated centralization of power in DC has become so problematic that we’ve enabled a de facto empire to self-assemble over time. Therefore, I do not consider myself a nationalist within a domestic paradigm in which I see the insidious machinations that have resulted in fifty neutered states and a hyper-powerful government in DC.

I’m a patriot and a nationalist. I love my country.

I hate that my government is hell bent on destroying my country.

If you like this content, please consider subscription and/or a tip. Any support is highly appreciated.