Soapbox

I Pledge My Allegience..

A frequent charge leveled against those of us who criticize the government these days is that we are un-patriotic. In this many conservatives mis-speak. It would be more correct to say that we are not nationalistic.

Many Americans lack the subtelty of language to understand the difference between the two. Here is the difference as I see it.

Patriotism is love of country. Love means acceptance but is tempered with willingness to correct, to make better, to criticize without worry of being disowned. I love my children. I am proud of their fine qualities and consider myself their number one cheerleader. I also recognize their faults and encourage them to improve themselves, but I will still love them even when they are wrong, and they know this.

Nationalism is not love of country–it is the belief that your country is intrinsically superior to all others, no matter what. For the nationalist it is irrelevant what the government actually does, because they are better at their core than anyone else. No criticism can be tolerated, no slight permitted by any other nation. This warped attitude is the genesis of the “America, love it or leave itâ€? attitude.
Why is this wrong? If you think your kids are perfect, then you can never allow them to lose. If they do not win a competition, the opponent must have cheated, or the referee was biased. It is not possible that the other player was simply better. With this attitude, you will never allow them to improve either. If you blindly insist that they are already the best, there can be no growth and progress.

Patriotism has led men to do great things in history- to protect their countrymen and families, and to take action when it is necessary to protect their rights and lives. Patriotism comes from the heart and leads to sacrifice and inspiration.

Nationalism makes men ethno-centric and dangerous. It comes from the ego and leads men to do mean and even terrible things. Nationalism allows men to demonize their opponents, and if your opponent is less than human, any action against them can be justified. Unchecked by common sense and reason, nationalism fertililzes the worst of man’s instincts and leads to war and genocide. The classic examples of an out of control nationalist are, of course, Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler.

In the end, it is a positive thing to be proud of the country and culture you come from, but it is dangerous to follow it blindly.