Redefining Patriotism

The 2024 Election is Going to Come Down to What You Think is Patriotic

The definition of “patriotism” as it related to the United States used to feel simple. You loved your country, whether a Republican or a Democrat was President. You supported the USA’s efforts at defense globally, you cheered in a nationalistic frenzy when it competed at the Olympic games (especially against the hated Soviets!), you praised Democracy, opposed Autocracy and Communism and stood up for freedom. You sung the Star Spangled Banner before ball games, said the Pledge of Allegiance in school,¹ and on July 4th you put your flag out and celebrated the country’s birthday.

Sure, there were always some who opposed these things. Protesters burning the flag as an act of freedom of speech² or booing during the National Anthem at ball games. But those occassions tended to be rare and those acts were seen for what they were, “unpatriotic.”³ Liberals, going back to the 1960s and 70s, have always felt a need to protest in the most extreme manner possible, including gestures denigrating the symbols of the country. These always seemed counterproductive to me; nobody wants to be on the side of a disloyal, unpatriotic cabal. Nixon winning 1968 and 1972 and then Reagan winning in 1980 and 1984, and Bush Sr. in 1988 only underscore this point. Patriotism, and demonstrating your love of country, is a potent political tool. Anti-patriotic sentiment has a very strong opposite effect.

These days, there is a huge “patriotism vacuum” in this country. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are making legitimate arguments and appeals to love America. There is absolutely zero support or praise for everything right with the US, which is actually most things. On the progressive left, there is a constant barrage of anger aimed at everything they perceive as wrong with the country. Race (even though as Obama consistently noted, the US is the only place on Earth his story was possible). Sex (even though women have surpassed men in the aggregate in most measures of success). Student Loan Debt (even though that debt was entered with full consciousness of what it meant). The opportunities available in the United States are better than anywhere else on Earth, which is why most people from other countries want to come here. Progressives ignore this except when they want to intentionally turn a blind eye to immigration (non) policy. Could it be better? Sure. And we can continue to work towards a “More Perfect Union.” But is it something to neglect our national identity and love over? Hardly. Yet, to most progressives, they resist it like the bourgeoisie they are in the same way they would consider a gauche handbag they dislike.

The Conservative Right have an even worse problem; they are mistaking vitriol and passionate overtures toward rebellion, insurrection, disloyalty and insubordination with patriotism. They put the words “United States” and “Constitution” on a pedestal, yet disdain every aspect of them and what they mean. They bend over backwards to justify their positions, including directly contradicting every patriotic notion and ideal for which they supposedly claim to stand. They hollowly wave the flags and sing the songs, but when it comes to demonstrating true love of country, they go out of their way to trash the Capitol, terrorize the elected leaders of the country and throw a fit where they threaten to hang officials if they don’t get their way. They love Free Speech but only when it means they are the only ones who speak. To them, the “United States” is a much narrower perspective than it is in actuality; the stuff they don’t like they just wish it could be swept behind the curtain like everything else they want to sneer at. There is an intense strain of ignorance among them, often decrying hatred toward the Government even though they are the largest recipients of Government funding and programs.

Worse among the right, the rise of “patriot groups” (which are anything but) advocating for military force to enact their arch-conservative agenda. These are actually insurrectionist mobs armed to the teeth without a patriotic notion in their bodies. Groups like The Proud Boys and Minutemen, the One Percenters and others openly propose armed violence against the government and are rampant on the right. Donald Trump and his rhetoric openly fuels their disloyal grassroots base.

Between these two extremes, on the progressive left and the MAGA right are the true patriots of this country, just waiting to hear positive things about our country again, and support it like we have in the past. There’s a rank emptiness here where the positive messages about what America is and what it stands for does not get through. There’s a thirst for it. You saw a glimpse of it when Russia invaded Ukraine and support for Ukraine was everywhere. It was something we all agreed in. As Russia has influenced Republicans to go against that urge and support has waned, we still want to see America play a positive role in the world and against aggression. We want to feel good about our country again.

As we enter the election season, the main argument Biden proposed last week is going to hinge on what your view of patriotism is. His case primarily focused on hanging the insurrection around Republicans’ neck and saying that it was wholly unpatriotic. It’s the right argument, but the focus is on the wrong message. Yes, he needs to point to Trump and MAGA as the disloyal and rebellious cabal that it is, but he needs to provide an alternative too, a positive message. Right now, the left doesn’t have one or at least isn’t focused on it. Biden needs to get Americans to love their country again. He needs to be a cheerleader of everything red, white and blue. He needs to dress up as Uncle Sam, chin whiskers and all, roll up his sleeves and show the world America is stronger than ever. The Olympic games will help. Pointing out the 250th birthday of America is in two years and building up momentum for it will help too. But whereas the progressive left continues to whine and complain about everything, he needs to meet that with saying they can either get on board or get left behind. Appeal to the middle, those that love America in the HEARTland, and he’ll win the White House.

If I were a political consultant for Joe Biden, I’d sum up his campaign this way: Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, Fireworks, the Flag and Joe Biden.

PurpleAmerica’s Cultural Corner

The right’s view and fixation on the “founding fathers” is a bit of an anomaly in that they are doing exactly what the founding fathers warned against and opposed. It’s odd to me that they adhere to it so strongly.

But in a sense, I understand. They view the Revolutionary War against England as an act of patriotism, instead of what it actually was, an insurrection and act of rebellion. What fueled it was the fact the Founders had to pay taxes and kowtow to a King thousands of miles away, while he neglected their needs here. They felt justified in their rebellion and it made sense. When they won it, the world really did turn upside down. This act is the basis for one of my favorite July 4th memes, which basically shows that whether something is loyal or traitorous is all a matter of perspective.

The Founders didn’t all like each other, had very different interests than one another and disagreed pretty strongly about a lot of things. But they did manage to compromise and put together a system of government that worked. Adherence and dedication to THAT is what makes a patriot. That is why the Founders are seen as patriots (even though they weren’t) to this day; they set the standard AFTER they won their Independence.

Many Republican states now are also the same states that seceded from the Union in the Civil War and many Republicans fuddle over themselves when confronted with questions about the “War Between the States.”⁴ They felt justified in THAT rebellion too, and considered it an act of patriotism (for their state). It wasn’t, It TOO was an act of insubordination. The South rebelling was an act of treason against the Government of the United States and they were in fact, all traitors.

Now these same areas pull out the same tropes, the same icons, the same symbols and claim to be patriots.

It’s not patriotism. Its as disloyal and unpatriotic as one can get.

PurpleAmerica’s Obscure Fact of the Day

Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as United States) is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general. Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a manifestation of patriotic emotion. Uncle Sam has also developed notoriety for his appearance in military propaganda, popularized by a famous 1917 World War I recruiting poster by J. M. Flagg.

According to legend, the character came into use during the War of 1812 and may have been named for Samuel Wilson. The actual origin is obscure. The first reference to Uncle Sam in formal literature (as distinct from newspapers) was in the 1816 allegorical book The Adventures of Uncle Sam, in Search After His Lost Honor.

Ulysses S. Grant’s birth name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. When he was at West Point, it was suggested that he change his initials because his monogram would be HUG. He chose to go by his middle name and then used his mother’s maiden name, Simpson, as his middle name. That way, he would be “U.S. Grant.”

PurpleAmerica’s Final Word on the Subject

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Footnotes and Fun Stuff

1. There has always been a little hesitation for the phrase “under God” in the Pledge, but my Principal in elementary school always told us that if any child felt uncomfortable with that portion it was more than acceptable to remain silent in that phrase and pick it up again with “…with Liberty and Justice For All.”

2. During the late 80s and early 90s, this became a huge issue when the Supreme Court said burning the flag was protected speech under the First Amendment, leading many “protesters” to burn flags and others to try and get a Constitutional Amendment passed to protect the flag.

3. Before I get a bunch of hate mail rebutting me about how burning a flag, exercising one’s First Amendment Right, is actually patriotic (you know, the argument Michael Douglas makes in “The American President,” let me just pre-empt that by saying when you burn a flag, you are essentially saying “I am against that and everything it stands for.” It is therefore oxymoronic to burn an American flag and then say you stand for the First Amendment. If you want to protest, you can burn something else and make a more exact point.

4. I once met a girl from Spencer, VA who had never heard of the Civil War until she went to a Big Ten school for college. Before that, it was always “The War Between the States” or the “War of Northern Aggression.”