THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume V, Issue # 102, April 7, 2003
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
LOVE OF COUNTRY: PATRIOTISM IN TIME OF WAR
By Paul Walfield
Bashing America and giving the benefit of the doubt to ruthless dictators and totalitarian regimes rather than your own government in times of crisis and of war, is far from patri- otic.
Looking for American military mistakes, when massive military victories are blatantly clear, is not patriotic, if you emphasize or fabricate mistakes while you minimize or ig- nore the reality of success on the ground.
Declaring unequivocally that, even if weapons of mass destruction are found in Iraq and/ or the Iraqi people eventually greet American soldiers as liberators, America was still wrong to go to war with Iraq is not patriotic, as your obvious intention is to add another "aggression" by American "imperialists" to your list.
Determining that your point of view has a monopoly on First Amendment rights of free speech and free press and is protected from criticism is not patriotic, since it is an at- tempt on your part to stifle debate and restrict freedom of speech and freedom of the press in the guise of protecting those freedoms.
By anyone's definition, love of country is patriotic. Love of country does involve criti- cism and even dissent. However, when dissent is merely a front for anti-American sen- timent, it is anything but patriotic.
Nowadays, we are all inundated with the ranting of individuals and groups who claim they are being patriotic when they call for "regime change" in America when it is not an elec- tion year, or demand we get out of Iraq, or more to the point, should never have gotten involved militarily in the first place.
What is most striking is the fact that these folks want to instill in others the notion that they love America so much they are willing, and mustering all their courage, to voice their opinions in opposition to government policy and the will of nearly 80% of their fel- low Americans. How brave.
On a cable news show a few days ago, a member of the "loyal" opposition explained how, as a true American, he was opposed to the war in Iraq. And unlike the usual touchy-feely Liberal, he based his views on "realism." You see, he knows from a CIA report that Iraq is not a real threat because there was no connection between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. The CIA report was from 2001. When asked about new findings of the CIA and U.S. State Department, as presented by Secretary of State Colin Powell to the United Nations in 2003, with CIA Director George Tenet sitting at the Secretary's side, the "realist" feigned ignorance. When pressed, the "realist," said he would look over the new evidence, but, "war is never the answer." So much for being a "realist."
Assuming some of those socalled "patriotic" Americans believe that war is not the an- swer, not ever, how does that make them patriotic? Their dogma is, at best, pacifism. It is certainly not Nationalism. America, its way of life, its sovereignty, and its standing in the world take a second seat to avoidance of war, and, if those Liberals are taken seri- ously, America is not worth fighting for.
If patriotism is love of country, the antiwar Liberal pacifists do not fit the definition. Not that you have to be a patriot. Pacifists have their place. They just need to be more hon- est in their declarations and professed motives.
Of course, there are the America-haters. They generally fit into three categories--genu- ine, pretenders, and clueless. Everyone knows a genuine America-hater when they see and hear one. They include, but are by no means limited to, some professors at Colum- bia University and other colleges, some movie producers and actors in Hollywood, some journalists, and even some Congresspersons and New York State Assemblymen. They spew vile and hateful rhetoric whenever they mention past or present American actions. No one can mistake the despicable words coming from Columbia Anthropology professor Nicholas De Genova saying he wanted not only to see America defeated in war, but also wanted to see American soldiers dead. Easy stuff.
Then there are the pretenders--the ones who claim they love America. These pretenders love America to bits. It is their love that drives them to speak out against certain Ameri- can policies. Unfortunately, it is love of self not country, and the fact that they argue against America fighting to preserve America shows that they only pretend to be patri- ots. They claim they are against the war in Iraq because of their deep felt concern for the innocent lives that will be lost. Yet, they were not protesting when Saddam slaugh- tered over a million people during his reign.
None protested the gassing of the Kurds by Saddam, but now they condemn America for allegedly giving Saddam the means to have chemical weapons. A little late for that sanc- timonious drivel, in light of the fact that America is now fighting to ensure that the Hus- sein regime can never again threaten or murder his or any other people.
These folks who claim to have higher motives in their trashing of America do not, at least coherently, explain how trashing America's attempts to free a brutally oppressed people in Iraq, remove a brutal dictator, and create a less terrorist friendly Middle East makes them "patriotic," but they do try. They even claim they are protected from criticism. Well, they are not, and that really is the "give away." It gives away their true nature.
It is a bit difficult to say you love America, that you are a true patriot, while you also claim that no other point of view--no point of view which contradicts or is critical of your point of view--is allowed. These folks claim any criticism of their trashing of America is "chilling," meaning it is un-American because it stifles debate by intimidating the speak- er. How clever. They stifle opposition by claiming it is un-American to oppose them,
Stalin would be proud and Kafka would be ecstatic.
Finally, there are the clueless--those who, because of their abysmal ignorance, just jump on the bandwagon. America's education system, public and private, ensured that no one was taught or even exposed to the greatness that America was or is. The clueless have no footing in solid knowledge and understanding and simply jump onto the side or cause any group, even one that is despicable, if the group seems willing to have them as mem- bers. People, who spout off without thinking, who simply repeat slogans without any of their neurons actually firing, fall into the category of the clueless. Lots of Hollywood folks who don't quite make it into the category of the genuine America-haters or into the cetegory of the pretending "patriots" fall into the category of the clueless bandwagon jumpers.
One of the reasons that America is great is that we are a tolerant people. While other nations and peoples profess that virtue, practically none but America practices what it preaches.
However, while we are a tolerant bunch, it is also important to remember that freedom, and all of what America stands for, are not invincible. We cannot live in the ivory towers built by those in academia and tinsel town, nor in such dream worlds built by others.
We must recognize and shun those who intentionally, or by effect, do America harm.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Political Culture, Patriotism, & American National Identity
The Middle East & the Problem of Iraq
Page Two
Page One
The Problem of Rogue States:
Iraq as a Case History
The Middle East & the Arabs
Islamism & Jihadism -- The Threat of Radical Islam
Page Three
Page Two
Page One
War & Peace in the Real World
Page Two
Page One
Islamist Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.A.
Osama bin Laden & the Islamist Declaration of War
Against the U.S.A. & Western Civilization
Islamist International Terrorism &
U.S. Intelligence Agencies
U.S. National Security Strategy
Paul Walfield is a freelance writer and member of the State Bar of California, with an undergraduate degree in Psychology
and post-graduate study in behavioral and analytical psychology. He resided for a number of years in the small town of
Houlton, Maine, and is now a California attorney. His articles appear in numerous periodicals and on numerous websites. He
has been the featured guest on KTSA News Talk Radio. CONTACT INFORMATION: Email:
paul.walfield@cox.net
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THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
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Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
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