(This column originally ran on March 6, 2008)
Nationalism — good for governments, but bad for people.
Must any government that wishes to survive foster a strong sense of national identity in its citizens? Over the past centuries, the United States of America has drilled national pride into its citizens, an operation beginning the moment their brains can process information and ending as soon as they die.
Take the Pledge of Allegiance.
For lazy readers seeking a quick capsule of my thoughts on the Pledge of Allegiance, behold: The Pledge of Allegiance is a pathetic, useless, absurd work of nationalist nonsense which encourages blind obedience to an arbitrary, man-made government and has no place in a society that prides itself on offering its citizens “freedom.”
My issue lies with children forced to recite the pledge each morning … just in case they forget which country they live in overnight. What’s wrong? Have test scores been slipping? If not, then it’s a useless ritual that accomplishes nothing good. Throw it out. Don’t force kids to recite it.
Correct: forced.
I understand that you have the option of sitting it out, but that option carries a penalty. For not joining in the circle, those who compose the circle will categorize you and banish you behind a curtain of mistrust. Remember: The individual makes others feel degraded, as ordinary beings, and in today’s climate no one likes to be ordinary. We are all special, unique creatures, all of us holding a special talent to share.
Most of these talents involve obedience, xenophobia and extreme attachment to arbitrary, man-made customs.
Such as “the flag and the republic for which it stands.”
Translation: a symbol and the government it represents.
The flag serves as just that: a symbol. All flags are pieces of cloth. Attaching democratic sentiments does not make it otherwise. I attach no meaning to the flag. None. Old Glory, the Stars and the Stripes, and other such nicknames demonstrate a dangerous, childlike obsession.
Next, the republic. There is something you need to understand about government: They are all man-made. Every one of them. Everything you love about your country, guess what? It’s all made-up. All the ideals, all the laws, the borders, every anthem, every patriotic tune, all of it. Invented. Every single country’s patriotism is arbitrary, and you owe it no special feelings simply because you happened to be born there.
The Star-Spangled Banner runs along similar lines. It amazes me whenever someone gets bent out of shape over someone else not taking their hat off, placing their right hand on their heart, and standing for a rendition.
What is the issue here? It’s just an anthem. If you lived in a different country, you’d love a different anthem. Same deal with the flag. If you lived in a different country, you’d attach vague meanings to a different piece of cloth.
Furthermore, the government exploits the same idea of national pride they foster among their citizens for their own gain. Why else do you think it was called the Patriot Act? “Patriotic” conjures up the image of the patriots fighting for the freedom of their homeland against tyranny. Calling it the Patriot Act, especially in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was a sly move, one that worked quite well: passed in the House 357 to 66 and in the Senate 98 to 1. And take a wild guess what label the opposition risked falling under: unpatriotic.
Nationalism has certainly strengthened the government, but as for the people, it does nothing but promote baseless, petty hatreds of the rest of the world.
Look no further than Francophobia. Out of all the xenophobic bashing that goes on in this country, French-bashing is the most sanctioned.
What’s wrong with the French? They acted cowardly during World War II. And cowardice is a real anti-American vice.
What these mouth-breathers fail to understand is that if they had been up against the German blitzkrieg with that government running the show, they too would have fallen, those noble patriots.
Of course, mention this or that, and you risk falling into the category of “anti-American.” Michael Moore is anti-American. Bleeding-heart liberals are anti-American, which begs the question: What are true Americans?
Callous, apathetic people, numb to the suffering of the unfortunate?
If so, let’s add in “people who shut up and do as they’re told and hate anyone different” to the accepted definition. And while we’re at it, let’s alter the pledge and remove that pesky “liberty and justice for all” part.
Or better yet — keep it.
Keep it and practice it.
I’d stand for that.
