This quote, attributed to a toast offered by Stephen Decatur, a U.S. naval officer during the early 19th century, has been repeated over and over by those who want to either demonstrate their sense of patriotism, or censure an extreme form of it. Years after these words were absorbed into our culture, English writer Gilbert Chesterton rebutted that "no patriot would ever think of using these words, except when desperate." He continued by comparing that statement to saying: "My mother, drunk or sober."
Given the extremely contentious political climate our country is currently experiencing, believers on both sides of the fence routinely accuse the opposing contingent of being un-patriotic. With aggressive attitudes dominating the discussion, we might easily be convinced that patriotism, as a cultural characteristic, has become an endangered species. However, in a report which analyzed the results of a research project, Christian Rovsek, after traveling 12,500 miles through 44 states, and interviewing thousands of people, concluded that patriotism is still alive and flourishing. ("Is Patriotism Dead in America?," The Huffington Post, December 21, 2011.)
With the exception of some observers who straddle the fringes of the political spectrum, many who write about this subject seem to agree. Their conclusions ought to be comforting for most of us. However, we need to point out that not everyone agrees on how to define patriotism. Depending on our perspective, many of us may disagree on how to express our love of country. James Grossman, Executive Director of the American Historical Association, coined the question appropriately: "What constitutes patriotism in a nation founded on dissent and notable for its deep and vibrant traditions of activism and debate from every corner of the country and the political spectrum?" ("On Patriotism," May, 2015)
Throughout our history we have encountered many periods dominated by significant dispute, sometimes expressed violently, during which all sides question the patriotism of those they disagree with. Our Civil War stands out as a prime example. And those who lived through the Vietnam War era may well remember the mantra: "America , love it or leave it." When our country is at war, expressions of patriotism tend to veer towards the extreme, approaching a form of "nationalism." George Orwell distinguished between the two, defining patriotism as "devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world, but has no wish to force upon other people." He considered nationalism to be inseparable from the desire for power, and the drive to secure greater prestige for the nation.
Having said this, it is significant to acknowledge that patriotism is not just some concept we can discard at will. We ought to recognize that if it were no longer alive, the continued homogeneity or national cohesion of our country would be in jeopardy. During war times patriotism instills "esprit de corps" among our soldiers. It clarifies their objectives, and drives them to give the extra effort in battle. Domestically patriotism in all its forms is used to arouse the popular support for the war effort in other ways.
Over time countries created symbols intended to unite people through visual, verbal or iconic representations of the national psyche, values, goals or history. Examples of these are flags, anthems, monuments, myths, national colors, and others. Historical events represented by our Independence Day celebration or France's Bastille Day are symbolic representations of important occurrences in history, designed to regenerate a feeling of national pride or remembrance. These symbols help us maintain our identity as a people. One of the major challenges supranational organizations like the European Union has is the relative lack of these unifying symbols. The current reincarnation of nativist attitudes in some of its member states appear to be a reflection of heightened patriotism at home, feeding an identity crisis many of their citizens have begun to experience as a result of increased immigration and a weakening of national unity. The resulting increase in euroscepticism and anti-globalization sentiments are largely a result of this growing exhibition of domestic patriotism.
While patriotism tends to be a positive force for the viability of a state, be it in a supportive or critical capacity, we need to recognize that there will always be some who subscribe to a flexible form of patriotism, while others may adopt the concept as an article of faith in manner reminiscent of adhering to a fundamentalist religion. Uncritical love of country can become pathological. People whose belief system is that extreme will invoke patriotism in defense of principles that they can't logically defend in any other way. The propaganda machines that operate in Nazi-Germany and those that are state controlled in present-day Russia feed this extreme form of what would otherwise be a good thing.
When patriotism bleeds into nationalism, chauvinism or jingoism, we need to be vigilant, and resist these impulses before hey take hold and become dangerous. "Our Country, right or wrong" is an attitude politicians will attempt to take advantage of, to the detriment of us all.
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