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!

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

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!

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!

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.

If any of the above doesn’t make sense, I apologise, I just started writing and it all came out!