I’m hopelessly out of step with my fellow Americans. Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it. I’ll state unequivocally that am not a patriot. I’m not exactly sure what a patriot is but I know I am not one. In fact, people who claim to be patriots creep me out. Too righteous-sounding and definitely in a bad way. I’ll briefly explain.
Is a patriot someone who wants good things to happen to their country? Well I do hope truly good things happen to this country but no more than for other countries. Take North Korea for example. Now there’s a place I wish many good things for. They need good things much more than we do. Kim Song Il just died so maybe that’s the start of something good for them. I hope so.
Is a patriot someone who joins the military and goes overseas to fight? If so, count me out. If I thought it would do the world some good I would go in a second despite being 60 years old. (World War II a prime example of a good reason to go to war because oppressive bad guys really were trying to take over the world.) But I’ve noticed a frequent inverse relationship between how much we spend on countries we go to fight and subsequently how well we and they do.
Is a patriot someone who uncritically backs military intervention anywhere, anytime, and at any cost? Not me. I believe there is always another way to get the things we really need without the loss of blood or treasure on our, or the other, side. A good driver makes small course corrections. A bad driver veers wildly at the last second to stay out of the ditch. The good driver is boring. The bad driver is exciting but in not in a good way.
Is a patriot someone who gets up and cheers at football games? Well, there’s an area I not so good at. I like football but in my mind patriotism has nothing to do with football except for those little flag logos sewn onto their uniforms. I should also mention the New England Patriots. I don’t even stand for the Star Spangled Banner which has embarrassed my daughter no end, especially at the circus.
My kind of patriotism would have more to do with how much good we do in the world. Now, I’m aware that all patriots claim to back the forces of good. But I’m unimpressed with what good we have done with the vast human and material resources at our disposal. In my lifetime we could have, and should have, done much to improve the world. But mostly we have just tried to feather our nest. That’s disappointing considering how much good a big country with so much going for it could do in the world. And fewer people would hate us too.
I’m no patriot and I’m definitely proud of it.