patriotism considered evil

[Adam Back]

Some observations on the nouns "Patriot", and "American" etc as they
relate to current events.

I'm not American.  I'm dual-national British/Swiss, I've lived in
Britain, Scotland, Canada and now the US.  But I have not noticed
anyone in Britain, or British press discussing "un-British" behavior,
or putting down anyone attempting to ask questions as "un-patriotic".
(Ditto for the other countries).  Press coverage of Iraq is varyingly
biased in those countries (ridiculously so in the US, somewhat in the
UK due to their involvement).  Opinion in the UK is split, but I don't
see those on the pro-side of the fence arguing that those arguing
against are unpatriotic or anything.  They're just arguing too and fro
about issues.  Politicians were arguing on both sides and getting some
air time.

But in the US the issues are buried, it's difficult for detractors of
the government line to be heard without getting shouted down as
unpatriotic or unamerican.

So I guess the American-way used to stand for something -- beliefs in
freedoms etc., and that one symbol used historically to express
support of those freedoms was the US flag.  So I'm supposing this is
the historic reason people fly flags, on their cars, houses,
businesses etc.  (A practice virtually non-existant in any other
country I've lived in, or travelled to).

But today it seems that the words Patriotic and American (in their
negative forms un-American and un-patriotic as) have become sullied
and perverted and essentially synonymous with:

- unquestioning acceptance of the party line, of the military
news-management

- put down and outright aggression against anyone who dares to think
for themselves, to ask critical questions, to express interest in the
truth, or express any interest in hearing both sides of an argument

In Britain the Union Jack flag to some extent got co-opted by racist
political groups such as the National Front, British National Party.
At least to the extent that wearing a t-shirt with a union jack on it
might not convey the message you hoped -- particularly if you have a
skin-head haircut.

In a similar way to me at least the US flag is heading the same way
with (different but negative) connotations of blind adherence to the
party line.

To me as a non-American all these flags fluttering as a symbol of the
governmental and military groups who are currently eroding rights and
freedoms in the US feels bizarre.  The same rights and freedoms that
apparently the same flag used to stand for.

I guess there are some similarities with the negative cooption of the
Union Jack symbol, but I'm wondering if in the US most of the flag
flying population even noticed the switcheroo in connotation.  Flag
flying seems to be more popular than ever.


Personally I'm somewhat on the fence about whether the US/British
attack on Iraq will end up being a net positive or negative thing for
world stability and safety.  It was an illegal first strike action
against a sovreign country, and it was a highly interventionist
activity, but the outcome is less clearly bad though of course we
don't know yet what the long term side-effects will be.


Anyway I never liked patriotism.  What's important in my book is
thinking for yourself, thinking critically and forming your own
opinions.  The governments and prominent political parties in most
western democracies are sleaze pits deserving only of contempt.  And
they are the entities most closely associated with and in control of
the actions of a country on any large scale in the international
arena.  So to me patriotism was always synonymous with support for
this system.  A corrupt political system which needs to be replaced
with anarcho-capitalism for things to get better.

Adam