Arguing about Who Loves America — without First Discussing How Sound Patriotism Would Manifest — with Regard to Choosing Wise Policies — Does Constantly Missing the Point Characterize the United States?

© 2015 Peter Free

 

20 February 2015

 

 

Silly people, foolish nation?

 

The latest brouhaha to catch the American media eye stems from former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s accusation that President Obama does not love the United States.

 

In the ensuing tumult, I have not detected much discussion about what wisely expressed patriotism would consist of. Especially as expressed in a confusingly violent world, much of that of our own making.

 

 

Missing important points seems to characterize American behavior

 

Is it that we are hopelessly stupid or just incorrigibly and emotionally simple-minded?

 

The two are not synonymous. Presumably, a little self-reflection would improve the latter condition. It is the excess of infantile emotion that gets in Remedy’s way.

 

 

The moral? — Lots of storming, no brain

 

It would be nice to put the two concepts together and accelerate somewhere productive.

 

This wish, of course, is naive. Democracy, even when genuinely operational, fails when it is established upon a foundation comprised of selfishly ignorant and unreflective people.

 

The Founders were correct to fear both authoritarianism and mob rule. Today, we have paradoxically both — an oligarchy based on successfully manipulating the American mob’s emotions.

 

What is a patriot to do?