If that’s not patriotism, I don’t know what is
October 28th, 2008patriotism, politics, rants
My all-time favorite TV show ever is the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I consume that show like a crack addict. (Those of you who know I don’t have TV will find that interesting, to you I say welcome to the world of hulu.) However, I sometimes run out of daily show to watch, and it is in these cases that I resort to the Colbert Report.
It was while watching the Oct. 23 episode of the Colbert Report that I saw an interesting sketch about the National Hummer Club (beware, this site is ugly . . . almost as ugly as a hummer). The sketch was shot in the style of a serious film about conservation, with such notable quotes as “if we can save the hummer, we can save America.” But what really caught my attention was this gem, implying that driving a hummer is the epitome of American patriotism: “If that’s not patriotic, I don’t know what is.”
Of course, my first reaction to that is well, you’ve got no fricken clue what patriotism is, then. But after thinking about it for a while, I realized I don’t either. Patriotism hinges on what your definition of being an American is, and Americanism is almost impossible to define. (This is what I hate about not being able to turn my brain off– I watch a simple comedy sketch and it makes me contemplate the meaning of Americanism.) This is important because patriotism is a heartstring that gets yanked on constantly. People are always attempting to define patriotism in ways that will be beneficial to them, but it seems fundamentally wrong to me that a specific group of people should use love of country to control and isolate.
Republicans and Democrats will tell you that they are the true patriots, but how can one party be more patriotic than another? Ours is a two party system, so “love of country” would involve both parties. You can’t be patriotic if you hate half the people who live in your country! That’s not patriotism, it’s just party loyalty.
Some people will tell you that capitalism is patriotic. Those are the people who have been brainwashed by capitalists; quick, sell them something before they run out of money.
When I think of patriotism, I tend to think of the founding fathers and the freedoms they fought for, such as the freedom of speech and religion. In that sense, I suppose driving a Hummer is patriotic– it’s nothing if it isn’t a statement. Perhaps what I’m leaning toward is the idea that patriotism is open for definition in many ways, and it differs a little for each person. Therefore, next time someone tells you that “real” patriots are ________, exercise your freedom of speech and tell them to fuck off.
Being patriotic is an intrinsic thing I feel, it’s something that only you know whether you are or you aren’t (nobody is gonna tell me I am or I’m not). I would go to war for country if called upon but I still think it’s run by Tweedledum and Tweedledee (I’m from the UK btw). Does that make me undecided or unpatriotic to think that about my countries leaders? I like my country and think an act of patriotism can be as small as exercising your right to vote.
If any of the above doesn’t make sense, I apologise, I just started writing and it all came out!
@m4tt
It made sense! And I’m glad you stopped by. Patriotism is a hard thing to pin down, but I think you have the right idea. I worry more about people who will do anything in order to avoid their patriotism being put in question.
“Ours is a two party system, so “love of country” would involve both parties. You can’t be patriotic if you hate half the people who live in your country! That’s not patriotism, it’s just party loyalty.”
Very wise Julie. I heart that quotation so much I put in in my tumblog. I love reading what you have to say, because I always know I’ll hear something “fresh,” not just the usual back and forth that exists about whatever the topic is.
And as for Hulu, I do own a TV, but I still watch the vast majority of my Daily Show on Hulu!
I agree with your last paragraph; patriotism is believing in the freedom our founding fathers fought for. Freedom in everything, speech, religion, work, you name it. What right does the government have to impose on my freedom.
However, that statement is in direct contradiction with your capitalist comment. I consider myself a capitalist, meaning I have the freedom to do whatever I wanted. If I want to work for a corporation, I can do that. If I want to work for Wal Mart, I can do that. If I want to start my own business and build it from the ground up, I have the right to do that. That to me is capitalism and is quite patriotic. I don’t believe that government has any authority to impose its partial beliefs on a free economy, but with this new administration and the overall expansion of the government (including Bush), I am beginning to think that patriotism is being ignored.
The firing of GM CEO Rick Wagner perfectly demonstrates this. I hope someday to work as hard as Rick did and eventually work my way up to the top like he did. The government stepping in and firing the CEO is extremely scary to me. I don’t want to work my ass off to get to the top only to be taken down in one fell swoop by the government. The free market that our founders envisioned should be exactly that; free!
@Kevin Thanks so much for your insightful comment. I agree with many of your sentiments such as the idea that a person should have a right to what they’ve earned. The current situation with GM is unsettling to say the least; I can’t express my dissatisfaction enough of having just purchased a bloated, failing company from which I will receive no reward.
However, saying that a capitalist, free-market system is true freedom and/or patriotism is faulty logic for several reasons. I stand by my conviction that, since the entire concept of Americanism is inherently ambiguous, there’s no way to concretely assert any definition of patriotism. If, for you, patriotism is free market capitalism, then I implore you to continue the pursuit of your dream and your expression of patriotism as you see it. Personally, I don’t totally trust the government to be efficient at anything except tax collection, but they seem a little less evil in their actions than pure capitalists.
“Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar.”
-Julius Caesar
I agree with you that the government “seems” to be less evil than capitalists. Capitalists are made out to be greedy, money loving pigs and that stereotype holds true in some occasions. There are corrupt capitalists who are obsessed with money, just as there are corrupt government officials. The free market has a way of punishing evil capitalists. If word gets out that a company, say Enron, is trying to rip people off and extort people, an amazing thing happens: people stop doing business with Enron. If a company works hard to establish a good reputation by actually working hard, making a great product, and running their business ethically, they will be rewarded with more customers. Businesses have an incentive to behave honestly, but there are exceptions to those honest businesses. Companies like Enron are few and far between though.
I also agree with you when you say that the government is inherently inefficient at anything but tax collection. That’s why I believe that expanding the government at unprecedented rates during an economic downturn is the absolute wrong move to do. Bush started it and Obama is making it worse. I’m not against the government totally. They do need to do some things, like protect property rights and provide national defense. However, I believe in the limited government our founding fathers believed in.
Here’s my definition of patriotism: choosing to sacrifice something for your country’s well being and believing and acting in accordance to the principles our founding fathers put forth.
By the way, thanks for a great discussion. I subscribed to your blog based on how you responded to me. You couldn’t have been more polite and really furthered the conversation (debate?). Thanks again and I have a feeling I’ll be a reader for a while!
@kevin I appreciate a well thought out opinion regardless of how closely it lines up with mine. Besides, if my logic is wrong, I’d rather know about it than continue promoting faulty logic. I’m still relatively anti-capitalist, but you forced me to challenge many assumptions I’ve always held and never questioned. Now my rusty brain wheels are turning. Thanks for subscribing!