Patriot, Beware!

Patriotism is good.  It has power.  But its power can be dangerous.  Yes!  People will die or kill for it.  That’s dangerous.   (Not much different from the power of religious fervor, wouldn’t you say?)  Anything that powerful should be tempered.  Thus, patriotism, as with Faith, ought to be handled with care, for it could be the cause of great harm as well as the source of much good.

It is ironic that the previous president most demonstrative of his patriotic zeal for our country is also the one that most persistently reached beyond any previous president in the application and exercise of his executive powers, running contrary to our constitution’s explicit demarking of “checks and balances.”  He is the one that sweepingly enacted the “Patriot Act.”  Many would say that this act actually reduced the traditional safeguards and protections of American rights and freedoms that our constitution and its legal traditions have historically protected—all in the name of PATRIOTISM!

But this was done for our own good, our safety and security, our protection, wasn’t it?  Yes it was.  But what act or movement or cause is not done in the name of the peoples’ good, safety, security and prosperity?  And that’s my point: just because something is done in the name of patriotism doesn’t automatically mean that it is in fact a patriotic thing to do.  It is not a question of patriotic sincerity, the heart may be in the right place, but the deed itself may be highly questionable as to patriotic consequences.

Blind, unreasoned, idealized, passionate patriotism, is dangerous.  Is this surprising?  Would you not say the same if it were a matter of blind, unreasoned, idealized, and passionate religious fervor?  Any patriotic act imposed by patriotic zealots must be tempered with considered wisdom and cool insight.  Otherwise, its spirited call to sacrifice one’s all “for the cause” will only intoxicate our passions, leading to a kind of political stupor as we semiconsciously stumble into seditious declarations and legislative acts resulting in the real loss of freedoms and a diminished national integrity, only to have the nation “wake up” the next morning, clueless, wondering “How did we come to this!”

Patriotism is not about shouting, “You’re either with us or against us!”  Nor is it about demanding absolute conformity to the will and desire of self-declared patriots.  As is true with religion, so it is with patriotism: Patriotic Zeal comes in a variety of sizes, colors, and forms.  One size does not fit all.  But all have alike the same desire: the peace, prosperity, and promotion of this country, our homeland.  Thus, real patriotism is betrayed when “Passionate Patriots” accuse and denounce, shall we say, “Less Passionate Citizens” of treachery, simply for pausing long and hard enough to wonder, question, and ask, “Might our patriotic passions be leading us the wrong way; are we in danger of precipitous action, heading head-over-heels down a cliff; are there not better ways to secure our national interests than to simply boast, bully, and bluster our way through the challenge before us?”

Anyone or anything that demands our unquestioning obedience and absolute conformity to its dictates is itself questionable.  Great ideals move us, impassioning our listless lives.  We choose to believe.  We want a cause, a purpose greater than ourselves.  We need to believe that the ultimate sacrifice is worthy, that there is honor in dying for one’s country, for example, a good cause, a meaningful death.  Patriotism does this for us.  And so, patriotism is powerful and therefore dangerous. It can be misused, abused, manipulated, and “managed” inappropriately.  Patriot, beware!  Be wise.  Be cautious of those who wield patriotism as a club so as to have you conform and do their bidding to what they define as right and good for this country, as if to disagree with them is an act of treason.