I’m Not Patriotic, But …
This is a strange article coming from a person who hasn’t got a patriotic bone her body.
Yes, that’s me.
I was raised by very religious parents who didn’t adhere to pledging allegiance to a king or a country let alone a flag. So, when I left religion, it wasn’t difficult for me to see through the propaganda of patriotism. Since then, I’ve lived and traveled all over the world and witnessed beautiful sunsets everywhere.
Like Thomas Paine, I consider myself to be a citizen of the world.
Yet, even though I harbor these rare sentiments concerning the country that I inherited through the sheer lottery of birth, I find myself these days assigned to an unusual position. I’m unpatriotic without hating every institution that is part of the structure of our society which makes me seem more patriotic than many conservatives.
Weird!
Many right wing conservatives claim to be the party of patriots. They’re generally the ones with flags on their vehicles and clothes, pledging and singing their allegiance to a country they also inherited through the sheer lottery of birth. Unlike me, however, they’re convinced the U.S. is the best country in the world, destined to rule forever.
Their fervor is astonishing.
Yet, they seem to have little faith in anything that defines any society. Our universities, some of the best in the world, are seen as liberal cesspools. Our researchers are nefarious characters. Teachers, professors, doctors, scientists, even our post office are all suspect.
They have no desire to invest in our society, to preserve even expand our infrastructure, even though it is crumbling under their watchful eyes.
They claim that government is the problem, but will fight you if you suggest that their own chosen ones also contribute to the problem. They hate government even while determined to force government to control me. It’s a mind boggling state of affairs.
It begs the question …
What do they think constitutes a country or a society? When they strip away everything that they either hate, mistrust or are convinced is evil, the only thing they’re left with is themselves. It would appear that the center of their delusional universe, the kingdom of America, is them. They are it. Thus, the idea of individualism carried to radical extremes becomes their norm.
Suddenly, I appear to be the most loyal American on the planet.
I realized long ago that human nature is contradictory. I started noticing that flaw in our brains when I was a kid. The contradictory message that my strict religious parents gave me was that I should do as they say not as they do. My parents were a bundle of contradictions. Once this pattern of behavior became evident, I was able to leave religion and choose my own path much easier. I soon realized that contradiction was prevalent in the civilian world, too. In fact, I’ve recognized it in myself from time to time. It’s a by product of denial.
Certainly the U.S. right wingers are living examples of contradictory behaviors. Every damn day, I witness another conspiracy or twisted belief that sends a clear message…
Do as I say not as I do.
It’s taken me a while to become comfortable with my new image of a more accepting version of an American with fewer conspiracy theories and an appreciation for many of our institutions. Not that I felt the need in the past to talk about my view of patriotism, but when I did I was often seen as too radical.
However, just when I begin to think that my image has been forever altered, I will casually mention that I don’t have a patriotic bone in my body and BOOM.
There I go again, producing a ripple effect of discomfort even anger. I soon realize, however, that the reaction my non patriotism produces is coming from both sides of the political world. That puts things back into perspective for me once again.
I’m still a minority in a world full of contradictions.
