Friday, July 29, 2011

The Importance of Patriotism

Patriot:  “One who loves his country and zealously supports its authority and interests.”

When you study the definition of ‘patriotism’ as defined by my old Webster’s Dictionary, you may be hard-pressed to understand why the belief in such a concept should be an issue of contention in the U.S.  And yet it is a subject on which Americans often find themselves divided along party lines, like so many other issues.  Those on the Right wear their patriotism proudly on their sleeves, while those on the Left often scoff, sneer or shrug at the notion of patriotism -- unless they’re running for office.  In that case they will claim to be patriotic but only after they redefine the term, saying that it really means “having the courage to be critical of one’s country,” or some such other nonsense.

The word “country” in the definition above refers to far more than the geographical territory upon which a nation exists, as evidenced by the phrase, “…supports its authority and interests.  The land doesn’t have “authority and interests;” but a nation does.  In other words, to be a patriot means to be loyal to a country in terms of its land, its people and the political system that represents its authority and advances its interests.

To understand the significance of patriotism, consider what happens within a family when a certain amount of loyalty does not exist.  A spouse cheats on a spouse, a parent fails to defend his child, a child ignores an elderly parent.  The family disintegrates.  Another apt comparison is a football team.  What would happen if players who are unhappy with the coach decided to get even by revealing their playbooks to the opposing team or by undermining the team’s strategy and purposely failing to do their jobs?  That would lead to the end of the team eventually.  In a country, patriotism is necessary to preserve and protect the nation as it currently exists. 

Let me repeat:  patriotism is necessary to preserve and protect the nation as it currently exists. 

Now let me repeat what I said above:  those on the Left often scoff, sneer or shrug at the notion of patriotism -- unless they’re running for office. 

If patriotism is necessary to the preservation of a nation as it currently exists, AND if the Left downplays or even derides the notion of patriotism, what can we conclude from this?  There are two possible answers:  (A) Those on the Left do not comprehend the importance of patriotism to a nation; or (B) Those on the Left do not wish to preserve and protect this nation as it currently exists.

Answer (A) fits perfectly with my theory of the Left as being psychologically immature.  Someone with the mentality of a child would not necessarily grasp the importance of patriotism, just as they may not understand what loyalty means to a family.  While this is not a crime, it certainly begs the question:  Is there any place for the Left in our government if they do not comprehend the necessity of patriotism?  I would say the answer is a big, fat “NO.”

Answer (B) also fits my theory of the Left as being immature for a couple of reasons,* but the bottom line is this:  The Left does NOT support the authority and interests of the U.S. government as defined by the Constitution. 

Two final thoughts:

Being a patriot does not necessarily mean that you tow the line, by agreeing with and/or abiding by the actions of the individuals who are in charge at any particular moment.  Patriotism means loyalty to country and to a political system, not necessarily to any one individual.  Working within the established political system to remove or neutralize the power of an individual can be patriotic if the ultimate goal is to “zealously support [the country’s] authority and interests.”  On the other hand, actions that are contrary to the design of the political system OR that ultimately undermine the original design or intent upon which the country was founded are not patriotic. 

Finally, what of those who do not agree with a country’s political system and so do not wish to support its “authority and interests”?  Is that a legitimate position?  Sure it is.  But it’s not patriotic.  It may be understandable.  It may be brave.  But it is not patriotic.  The rebels in Libya are fighting to replace the current political system with a preferred design of their own.  Their interest is to be in control of the land and the infrastructure, not to promote the authority and interests of the country as it currently exists.  They may be noble in their intentions – who knows? – but they are not patriots for Libya.

In sum, patriotism is a necessary element to the long-term survival of a nation, but you don’t have to take my word for it, just observe the actions of those on the Left.  We can already see that they perpetually engage in activities to undermine the Constitution and crack the foundation of this nation.  If they trivialize and ridicule the notion of patriotism, it can only be because they wish to deprive this nation of something that is necessary to its survival as it presently exists. 


* In the case of the U.S. Constitution, one would have to be immature not to recognize that the Left has never offered a superior alternative to the system of government we currently have.  Secondly, the desire to destroy the world’s most successful political system (theoretically speaking, anyway) for the sake of acquiring power and control for oneself, with no regard to the consequences, demonstrates a child’s absence of wisdom, a child’s lack of conscience, and a child’s need to indulge his own ego.

34 comments:

  1. CW, great post! I totally agree, the left would love to change the U.S. to fit their ideology. I would like to see these anti-patriotic folks move to Canada, Cuba, Venezuela, or Western Europe and live their dreams and quit stopping to change the good ol' USA.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, anonymous. If they would agree to leave, I would chip in for the one-way airfare.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Playing devil's advocate, as it were ...

    "Let me repeat: patriotism is necessary to preserve and protect the nation as it currently exists."

    What about a person like me who recognizes that the system of governance now in place does NOT represent the Constitutional Republic established so long ago? I don't support that which is not Constitutional and does not pass the Declaration of Independence test. Am I unpatriotic? Perhaps by your definition I am not patriotic, yet I perceive myself to be just that.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mrs. AL:

    My choice of phrasing needs some improvement. What I meant by “currently exists” is the Constitutional framework that ORIGINALLY defined how a nation was intended to work. Any changes along the way that were contrary to the original design and were instituted by unconstitutional means do not justify loyalty – or patriotism – in my view. So I would agree that you are a patriot and I consider myself one as well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is a great essay on patriotism. I love it and good job for writing this. Peppermint.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Quick note before I head out, CW. I am struggling with the whole idea of being "patriotic" right now. My "devil's advocate" role was to draw out what I thought was the intent in your fine essay. I was right. Yea. Keep hammering away!!!!!!!!
    P. S. Hope this doesn't post twice -- apologies to all if it does.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Peppermint: I’m glad you stopped by and thanks for your kind words.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good post, Mrs. AL. Sorry I was late to the party but this entire week either myself or Mrs. Gray Ghost were having tests run in the hospital. (And Mrs. Gray Ghost starts teaching Monday of next week.)

    Perhaps those on the Left who sneer at "patriotism" are more concerned with themselves than with an idea bigger than their collected beliefs?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Well, Mrs. AL,

    I completely understand your struggle and tried to address that somewhat when I said that being a patriot does not necessarily mean towing the line. In fact, sometimes patriotism requires that we do battle (hopefully just politically and rhetorically speaking) amongst ourselves. When the fight is to preserve or restore the ideas that this nation was founded upon, that’s patriotism IMO. When the fight is to move us further away from those ideas and transform us into something different, I believe that’s contrary to patriotism.

    I kind of hurried this essay along and worried after I posted it that I might not have been as clear as I could have been, so I have no problem with your playing devil’s advocate.

    ReplyDelete
  10. ANTI LIBERAL ZONE

    Thanks and...
    ...I love your screen name.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Patriotism: love for or devotion to one's country. That should help Mrs. AL.

    Exposure -- even one time -- by a liberal/progressive to the American flag can change voting behavior for months, and the shift is left-to-right. www.foxnews.com/on-air/.../stars-stripes-and-republican-votes

    ReplyDelete
  12. The link you provided pretty much says it all, drpete. Time to put a flag on my car somewhere.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  13. P.S.

    Who knew it was that simple?

    ReplyDelete
  14. For delicious, CW, just think of the many times you've seen President Obama speak=demagogue=lie with a background of a half-dozen large American flags. A picture is worth a . . .

    ReplyDelete
  15. DrPete ... the country as it is or as it was intended to be? That's where I am struggling, as I noted to CW above. Let me be blunt, the brand identity associated with the United States of America today is not the brand identity of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, now is it?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Its ideals, Mrs. AL, as intended. Life, individual liberty, personal property.

    ReplyDelete
  17. FYI, CW and DrPete ---

    I found my answer in the comment section over at GunnyG's place:

    http://theantiliberalzone.blogspot.com/2011/08/must-read-on-rape-of-us-taxpayer.html

    Thanx for listening and offering your counsel re my wrestling with the idea of my "patriotism." It all came together for me -- finally.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Mrs. AL,

    From what I’ve seen so far, Gunny doesn’t leave much room for doubt as to where he stands on things (that’s a compliment). I’m glad you able to find clarity.

    ReplyDelete
  19. New home, CW, at http://thedrpete.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  20. Please check out "The Pied Piper", CW, at http://nycpiedpiper.blogspot.com/.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ok, CW, I have been patient. When are you putting up another post?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Drpete,

    Thanks for the heads up on the Pied Piper. I really enjoyed it (although it made me hungry); however, I tried to leave a comment but it would never post. I guess I'm too technically challenged.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Mrs. AL,

    I was waiting on you to put up a post! I'll try to get something up soon.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I did, CW ... I am playing the role of translator.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Patriotism…the last refuge of scoundrels...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anarchy...the first refuge of idiot-mittens.

      Delete
    2. In the quote that begins this oh-so-original entry, replace "country" w/"rulers" (since thats what you're really talking about whether you realize it or not) and you'll get a more accurate picture of what 'patriotism' means.

      Delete
    3. You’re a dumbass who isn’t up to the task of grasping the importance of patriotism. Here’s a hint: do you protect your family and your home? Why bother? What does it matter?

      Think about it, idiot-mitten. THINK.

      Delete
    4. You keep your 'patriotism' (nation-state worship)…as for me I'll stick to logic and reason.

      Delete
    5. If you think you can have a country without patriotism (i.e. loyalty and support as defined by Webster's) then you have already abandoned logic and reason. But then, that's no surprise.

      Delete
    6. If you think a "country" exists, in reality, you're deluded.

      Oh, and as for your fixation with "originality", I wonder if you realize the 'founders' rehashed an idea (republican govt.) which was 2000 years old (and which had utterly failed to secure liberty way back then as well) in THEIR time? Heck…the 'founders' couldn't even think of original colors for their national flag, lol, copying those of their ex-masters the English!

      And as to my posting links being more evidence of my inability to think for myself…I wonder if you also think footnotes at the end of a book or presentation are same for the writer or speaker?

      Delete
    7. BTW, Mr./Mrs./Ms. Patriot, just an FYI that your Israeli masters have decided Ted Cruz isn't Presidential Material:

      "Media reports about Sen. Ted Cruz’s whirlwind effort this week to court high-powered Jewish donors in New York have highlighted claims that the Texas Republican is "too conservative" to be elected president.

      After Cruz met privately with Sheldon Adelson, a source close to the billionaire casino magnate told The New York Observer on Monday that Adelson likes Cruz but believes he is "too right wing" and a longshot for the Republican nomination in 2016."

      http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/conservative-president-jewish-donors/2014/11/26/id/609810/


      "It is funny to see how both Rupert Murdoch and Sheldon Adelson write opinion editorials at about the same time proclaiming how the United States needs immigration reform. This is not a coincidence. They realize that the American people don’t want any new laws, new reforms or changes in immigration law and that the window to take action is closing. This is why they are pushing the issue so strongly.
      It shouldn’t be a surprise that the billionaire Zionist Jew Adelson would be in support of such measures. Adelson is directly connected to the Republican establishment.
      Just a few months ago Adelson hosted an event in which 2016 Republican presidential hopefuls delivered speeches to Adelson and a bunch of other Zionist Jews in which each hopeful professed how they would be good for Israel and Jews if elected President. It was an incredibly sickening display and shows how influential Jews are in American politics. Since Adelson along with Murdoch are both for immigration reform, this means that the American people should be dead set against it. Below is Adelson’s article in which he professes his support for immigration reform which is nothing more than code for amnesty. He even quotes the Jew poet Emma Lazarus to support his stance."

      http://www.dailyslave.com/billionaire-zionist-jew-sheldon-adelson-also-wants-amnesty-for-illegal-immigrants/


      Patriot that you are, I'm sure this meddling in American politics by those allegiant to another nation makes your blood boil, yes?

      Delete
  26. I'm not posting any more of your comments until you answer the question you're avoiding from my most recent post. In the meantime I will be working on a post devoted entirely to you. See how special you are?

    ReplyDelete