What do you think about Patriotism and where our country is?

Question

Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.
William Samuel Johnson

During times of war, hatred becomes quite respectable, even though it has to masquerade often under the guise of patriotism.
Howard Thurman:


In the United States, doing good has come to be, like patriotism, a favorite device of persons with something to sell.
H. L. Mencken:

Is Patriotism being used to manipulate the citizens of our country?

Answer 1

I believe it is overly patriotic and for the wrong reasons. Especially since 9-11. Flag and bunting manufactures and the companies that make those dad blasted yellow ribbons and the ubiquitous automobile magnets must have seen dollar signs in the smoke, when those buildings came down.

It all really started in 1991 when veterans groups decided to launch a preemptive strike against what they saw as a bunch of lily livered coo coos and dirty hippies that had spit on our soldiers when they came home from Viet Nam. They vowed this would not happen again.

Overnight an entire industry grew up and it became fashionable to fly the flag and have WE SUPPORT OUR TROUPES signs on the lawn.

This whole thing bothered me because too much flag waving smacks of Nazi Germany and a time when in that country there were swastikas on everything. I'm not comparing America with Nazi Germany but to make a point that in a free and democratic society you and I should have the right to not participate in such blatant displays of patriotism without being called unpatriotic or a commie or something. I love my country but I believe I have the right to be able to disagree with the statement "my country right or wrong".

Answer 2

Yes, indeed, patriotism is being used to manipulate people. True patriotism is a dying concept. It's a crying shame that those who speak out against the U.S. government and the Mid East War are branded as "traitors." Blindly following and supporting the president without question is the hallmark of brainwashed robots.

Answer 3

I agree with what nolajazzyguide said. She deserves the ten points here....
How patriotic is saying "the constitution is only a piece of paper"? Our forefathers that died fighting for this country are probably spinning like lathes over that comment. Speaking against our president is not being a traitor or unpatriotic. It merely means you are not playing into his 'fear cards'. Only his sheep follow President Bo Peep.

Baaaaaaaaaaaa

Answer 4

Different people will have developed different meanings & understandings for the word Patriot. In the USA that is their Constitutional right.

True American patriotism, imo, is a solid understanding of the words and laws written by our forefathers 231 years ago. An understanding ,"that all men { & women} are created equal." You see the founders wanted equality for everyone including slaves. Did you know a slave could buy his own ownership papers if he could figure out how to accumulate enough Gold? {money}

Develop a good understanding of exactly who pays all government employees salaries. If you pay taxes, you my friends are George Bush's and his cronies employer. Employers can hire or fire employees. Think about that, please.

In my opinion Ron Paul is a true Patriot because he alone in government seems to have high regards for the Constitution & founders words.
I could go on but space is limited.
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Answer 5

I'm afraid to say that patriots are a dying breed in this country. Anymore, people are only "patriotic" when it either serves their better interests, or when everyone else seems to be, so they simply follow the cause.

Unfortunately the country has lost a lot of its political power within itself. When George Washington retired from teh presidency in 1796 (which set the precedent for a two term presidency, by the way) he warned people about two things: forming political parties, and forming treaties that tied us to other countries. While I do feel that treaties are necessary nowadays to prevent large-scale war and to ensure worldwide safety, I also believe that political parties are causing the downfall of politics in America.

Think about it. Anymore, when a questionable policy is put forth in Congress, Democrats and Republicans simply bicker back and forth between themselves. Laws lose meaning, as the polictians only argue along party lines. Nobody strays from the safety of their party, so we constantly find ourselves divided with nothing getting done. And though some politicians may feel strongly about one issue or another, too often the argument turns into a Elephant vs. Donkey debate over party differences. Think about the war in Iraq that's going on now. The sides are strictly divided between pro-war Republicans and anti-war Democrats. The parties have become stereotypes that define Americans. Oh, he's gay, must be Democrat. Oh, he likes to hunt, must be Republican. Nothing substantial will ever get done in this country if the politicians continue to live by a set of principles defined by greed and party power.

Answer 6

A patriot is a scared, loathed, feared and hated man. But when his cause serves purpose, the timid join him, for being a patriot doesn't cost anything(loose translation of Mark Twain, I know it's F'd up).

The point being, patriotism is not slapping on a Support Our Troops magnet on your car or putting whoever you want to run for President. It's doing whatever you can to make a change, to end this onslaught of tyranny that has taken over this great country by way of info. Information displayed into the sense that people will follow blindly no matter if it's true or false.

It's putting your foot down and demand that our elected officials follow the sacred papers that our founding fathers laid forth for us to know, to love, to spread the word of individual liberties to unite us into this great Republic.

Answer 7

True patriotism is alive and well. Being a patriot does not mean that you blindly follow where you are lead, to me it means respect of my country (not the politicians). It means appeciating what I have and can have, what I do and can do because America is the greatest country in the world. It has major flaws but its MY country and I am proud of it.

Yes, patriotism is being bought and sold in many ways, a way to get a message out, sell an idea, get elected, a way to rally people around just about anything.

Answer 8

Patriotism is a device used to control a compliant people and stop them thinking about the real issues.
It was raised to perfection by Joseph Stalin who always referred to WW2 as The Great Patriotic War so implying that it was only the Soviet Union that was fighting Germnay.

Answer 9

Yankee Doodle Donna...

Answer 10

It is a ruse used cheaply when it is a very serious matter.