Today is the Fourth of July, Independence Day. A day when Americans from coast to coast eat hot dogs and watch Will Smith movies to proclaim their Americanism. A day when rednecks from red states wave tiny flags (which were made in China and purchased at Walmart) and shout, "For Democracy, for America, and ST. GEORGE!"
And of course it's all bullshit. The word "patriotic" has been bandied about a lot lately. It's been misused, abused, and altered, possibly irrevocably. Thanks largely to Carl Rove (he's evil, but credit where credit is due), patriotism has become synonymous with supporting the government. What the fuck? When did that happen? September 11, 2001, that's when.
W used 9/11 to justify an invasion of Iraq (75% of Americans still think Saddam was responsible for the attacks on the WTC, even though this is a complete fabrication on the part the current American regime). He convinced us that if you didn't support W, you didn't support the war, and if you didn't support the war, you didn't support the troops, and if you don't support the troops then you are an unpatiotic bastard who is liable to lynched by the nearest passing, flag-waving mob. We all know this principle. If A=B and B=C, then A=C. It's simple. So if you don't support the president, you're not patriotic. And being unpatriotic is as close as it gets to being the spawn of Satan in this parched and Chrisian land.
The reasoning sounds OK, but there's a flaw: B does not equal C. Americans, in their world renowned simple-mindedness, have become almost totally incapable of separating subtle issues. It is possible to denounce one thing and support another, even though the two are related. I support the troops, just not the assholes in DC commanding them. I support our men and women who's lives are in danger every day. I don't support the reason they've been put in harm's way. Does that make me unpatriotic? Fuck no.
Patriotism is not, and never has been, blind adherence to a corrupt government. It does not mean casually accepting abuses of civil rights by greedy men. It does not mean unquestioning belief in lies handed down by morally bankrupt oil moguls. Patriotism is the love of country, and in this case, of our country's democracy. But a complacent electorate makes for a weak deomocray at best. Democracy only works when citizens question, challenge, and demand high standards of their leaders. What's the point of having the right to vote if you don't use that right to get rid of corrupt politicans who abuse their power and your civil liberties? Shit, if we don't care who's in charge or what they do, we might as well go back to having a monarchy. The only way to exhibit true patriotism is to make America the strongest democracy it can be, the best country it can be, and the only way to do that is to actively participate in its governance, to question authority, to condem corruption, to investigate lies and hold the liars responsible. Waving little flags manufactured in South Korea doesn't make you patriotic. Questioning the actions of the government, particularly when thousands of lives are at stake, does.
4 comments:
I expect you might find yourself having to make that speech quite frequently in the UK when English people/Scottish people/Welsh people/any people anywhere outside America (except maybe Israel) give you a hard time about being American.
No too often. Many Brits asked me, when they first met me, if I supported Mr. Bush. After an honest and emphatic "NO!" they generally approved of my existence. I shudder to think what would have happened if I'd said "yes!"
I would have laughed until snot came down my nose and then had you sectioned under the mental health act. Kipling wrote one of the finest passages concerning what true patriotism is in the book Stalky and Co. Required reading.
Cheers, I'll look it up.
My local newspaper is running a heavily edited (by me) version of this post in the Voice of the People column. Whoo-hoo! Now's my chance to piss off the entire home town in one fell swoop!
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