The Symbolism and Substance of Patriotism

Appeared in Benicia Herald 10/12/10:


How does each one of us choose to view and understand Patriotism? What is a Patriot? Who is a Patriot, and who is a traitor? What must I do to act patriotically? Do I use the words to make myself appear to be superior to others? If I say I am a Patriot, or act Patriotically, does that confer special rights on me that should not be enjoyed by one who is not seen as a Patriot? Do I view my Patriotism in terms of my caring and empathy for people, or do I see the words in abstract symbolic terms.
The dictionary defines Patriotism as “Love or devotion to ones country”. Patriotic is defined as “Inspired by Patriotism”. A Patriot is, “One who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests”. Patriotism, Nationalism, and loyalty are interchangeable words for many of us. The definition of loyalty is, “Unswerving in allegiance; faithful in allegiance to ones sovereign or government; faithful to a law, custom, ideal, institution, or product”. Analyzing each of the above definitions brings up many questions about Patriotism and loyalty for me.
The politically opportunistic and dangerous Senator Joseph McCarthy misused the word “Patriotism” as a tool to gain power, squash those who disagreed with him, and to further his ominous political career. Using the word “Patriotism” as a tool of power, to oppress free thought and dissent, incarcerate without “Due Process”, and to torture and kill is no more patriotic then if one acted as the despotic traitor themselves.
I feel patriotic when I perform acts of service. I believe that acts of service, performed on a one to one basis, volunteering locally or nationally, or unconditional giving of one’s self to another is the highest form of Patriotism. Patriotism should serve to benefit and support those in need and our peers, not to enrich and further and empower the mega wealthy, or to support further acts of violence and corruption by our government.
As a wise, self serving, and practical choice, I choose to be “Conditionally Patriotic”, as I did not know there was any other moral or intelligent choice. Thomas Jefferson said, “Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism”. Why do governments try to suppress free expression, transparency in the media, and dissatisfaction with so called benign mandates of government that oppress the people? According to Jefferson, governments that suppress dissent and freedom of thought are discouraging true Patriotism. “Blind unconditional Patriotism” and “Blind Love” can be both equally damaging to the believer. Loyalty or Patriotism usually serves the master, but most times does not best serve the slave, follower, or loyal citizen.
One of the greatest symbols of Patriotism, acting Patriotic, or being a Patriot is seen by many of us as how we perceive “Old Glory”. There are realities of the flag and myths about the flag. Some of the realities are that it’s a piece of rectangular of cloth, dyed in three colors that people like to salute, or display at parades, government buildings, or just wave around. Another reality is that some of us receive a warm fuzzy feeling in our souls when we salute or view the flag. Quite frankly it matters not to me, if people salute the flag in admiration, or burn it in protest, because they are both symbolic acts of little substance.
Dying for ones country is sometimes seen as a Patriotic act. There is something about the adrenalin rush and macho chest beating energy that makes some of us feel very Patriotic when our country goes to war. The last great example of the above is our invasion of Iraq, when 89% of us so called Patriotic Americans believed we were doing the right thing to bring Hussein down, fight terrorists, and free the Iraqi people. The thought of hundreds of thousands of innocent dead Iraqi adults and children, thousands of our own people left dead, a country left in mass destruction, and civil wars, does not reinforce my feelings of Patriotism. After seven years of war in the Middle East, that Patriotic feeling that most of once felt has diminished and been replaced by shame, anger, and resentment that the leaders of our country lied to us. It is difficult for me to feel Patriotic for the reason that we invaded Iraq was for over a hundred billion barrels of oil reserves and to preserve the value of the dollar. Hussein threatened to start trading oil in Euro’s instead of dollars. I cannot feel Patriotic knowing that we caused the death and destruction, because we valued greed more than life.
Trusting and not questioning our government is sometimes seen as acting Patriotic. I believe that Patriotism is tied into the myth of the patriarchal father, who is all knowing, righteous, infinitely wise, and always acting in our best interests. Some of us also fall for this myth in our families, religious institutions, places of employment, and dangerously, or many times our corrupt government leaders. Sometimes the words loyalty and Patriotism are interchangeable. Mark Twain aptly said, “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it". The point I am trying to make is that the wise person should exercise conditional loyalty or Patriotism.
Saying, “We are the best country in the world”, in an omnipotent superior fashion sometimes invokes feelings of superiority and Patriotism, but it may also backfire on us. The above statement if said in arrogance or boasting, may also invoke feelings of resentment and hatred by those people in other countries, and specifically where our foreign policy has been violent, imperialistic, and disrespectful of the indigenous people.
“Support our Troops” can be seen as another act of Patriotism, or maybe just an abstraction that does little for the well being of our troops, but makes us feel that we are doing our part for the Patriotic war effort. It is a nice gesture to affix a yellow ribbon “Support our troops” magnet or decal to ones car, and its makes the person displaying the symbol feel as if they are doing their patriotic duty. In reality, if we are truly patriotic in substance, and not in symbolism, whenever the “War Drums” start to beat we should ask serious questions of our leaders, not trust that they are acting in our best interests, loudly protest, and collectively threaten to withhold our tax dollars and votes for the pending war effort. Let’s support our troops by making sure that they have proper armor in the battlefield, adequate physical and mental health care for them and their families, financial support for their families, and a respectable job when they return from combat. Lastly let’s have societal support for our homeless vets. Supporting our troops in substance is not putting them in harm’s way in the first place, so that rich and powerful “Fat Cats” may profit on the bodies and lives of young idealistic and innocent young men and women who justly believe that they are doing their patriotic duty.
So next time we feel that we need be patriotic, act patriotically, or say what should be patriotic, we should give serious thoughts to how the act of Patriotism will benefit our fellow man, or enrich a “Fat Cat”, or just give us a short lived adrenalin rush.
Harvey is a Benicia businessman. You may visit Harvey’s Blog and leave comments at: http://harveysrantsraves.blogspot.com/