The night of the Iowa caucuses, during Barack Obama’s speech, the assembled crowd began shouting, “USA! USA!” TNR’s Frank Foer noted, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a crowd of Democratic primary voters erupt in a spontaneous display like this…. Liberals who credibly bathe themselves in patriotism greatly increase their chances — and, in this case, prepare themselves well for running against John McCain.”
I’ve noticed that much of Obama’s message touches on explicitly patriotic themes, and has for several years. But today, Jonah Goldberg explains that it’s unsatisfactory, because Obama doesn’t specifically use the word “patriotism” enough.
“Unity is the great need of the hour…. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it’s the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country. I’m not talking about a budget deficit…. I’m talking about a moral deficit. I’m talking about an empathy deficit. I’m taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother’s keeper; we are our sister’s keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.”
So quoth Barack Obama in Atlanta on Jan. 20, but it might as well have been last week, so central is unity to his presidential campaign…. What is fascinating here is not the sentiment, but what’s missing from it. The P-word.
To invoke patriotism seriously is to brand yourself either an old fogy or a right-wing bully. If Obama spoke about patriotism with the sort of passion he expends on unity, many would take him for some sort of demagogue.
It’s possible I’m insufficiently patriotic to fully understand the argument — I think I love my country, but I’m not sure if I meet the right’s standards. Goldberg seems to be arguing that the left’s problem isn’t that we’re unpatriotic, but rather, that we don’t talk about patriotism enough. Presumably, if the left used the “P-word” more often, conservatives would have more confidence in our loyalties.
Or something. With Goldberg, it’s sometimes hard to follow the argument.
He added that, in this post-Vietnam era, the left “amputated itself from full-throated patriotic sentiment.” He added, “One cannot credibly talk of love of country while simultaneously dodging the word and concept of patriotism…. [O]ne cannot sufficiently love one’s country if you are afraid to say so out loud.”
It’s rather bewildering. The column isn’t about patriotism, or honoring the nation’s highest ideals, or acting in such a way as to protect the nation’s values, traditions, and institutions; it’s about rhetoric.
In this sense, a politico can give a rah-rah speech, and wrap himself in the flag, while opposing American civil liberties, stifling dissent, and supporting policies like torture and the elimination of habeas corpus. But so long as this person uses the “P-word” and wears the stars and stripes are on his lapel, there’s a “patriotism gap.”
It’s good to know. Patriotic beliefs are nice, but talking about patriotic beliefs is vital.
No Trackbacks To “Misidentifying the ‘patriotism gap’“
BUSH’S 3 A.M. PHONE CALL
Ring 1, Ring 2…….. Ring 8
“Hello?”
Voice On Phone: Mr. President?
Laura: Hold on
George wake up…. George…
Wake up George… GEORGE!!!
W: What?
L: It’s the phone, you know, the one you always hope never rings.
W: Damn. Alright give me a minute (heads to bathroom)
VOP: Mr. President? It’s very urgent
L: Hold on, he has to drain the horse. Speaking of horses, did you ever hear my horse joke that I made at the correspondence dinner?…
Seven minutes later
VOP: Yes ma’am, that’s very funny, But I do need to speak with the President.
L: Well o.k. GEORGE!!!
One minute later
W: Do you realize what time it is?
VOP: Yes sir but
W: It’s 10 after 3
VOP: I know sir but
W: C,mon spit it out. And it better be good
VOP: Sir, there is a nuclear bomb in New York that is set to go off in one hour.
W: (Long pause) Well, (Longer pause) What do want me to do about it, call Jack Bauer? heh heh heh
VOP: Sir?
W: Or better yet let’s move it to New Orleans. heh heh heh
VOP: Sir, we have less than an hour.
W: O.K. O.K. Uhmmm, well (Longest pause)… This sounds like a case for “Usual Protocol”.
VOP: “Usual Protocol” sir?
W: Yes, “Usual Protocol”.
VOP: What’s that?
W: Let it explode and call me in 3 days.
Click
“I think I love my country, but I’m not sure if I meet the right’s standards.”
The right has no standards. Whatever level of patriotism a liberal displays, it will be criminally low compared to the Right’s expectations.
The only P-word associated with Jonah is “pantload”
I thought it was very clear. Only the GOPness is patriotic.
Sounds realistic, Peter. It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world we’re living in.
Iowa’s flush with Ethanol subsidies. I’m not to surprised they were chanting USA USA!
This from the crowd who think Patriotism is wearing a pin on their jacket?
The more they try to diss Obama the more popular he’ll get.
Obama wants to Unify and that is what America wants and needs.
Gawd, they are pulling shit out of their tired asses.
GTFOOH
repug patriotism is counting the dead bodies.
Orwell explains that the Party could not protect its iron power without degrading its people with constant propaganda. Yet, knowledge of this brutal deception, even within the Inner Party itself, could lead to disgusted collapse of the State from within. For this reason, the government uses a complex system of reality control. Though Nineteen Eighty-Four is most famous for the Party’s pervasive surveillance of everyday life, reality control means that the population of Oceania — all of it, including the ruling élite — could be controlled and manipulated merely through the alteration of everyday thought and language. Newspeak is the method for controlling thought through language; doublethink is the method of directly controlling thought.
Dale @ 2:
Exactly!
bwahahaahaa… jonah goldberg, oh man, that is rich…
I don’t know why anyone pays any attention to Jonah Goldberg. He’s not smart enough to be called stupid.
Slightly OT — C&L, please don’t fail to post Ferraro’s Al Campanis-like defense to GMA’s Diana Sawyer of her plainly racist series of remarks over the past 24 hours.
Here’s the Good Morning America link –
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Vote.....amp;page=1
Goldberg wouldn’t know patriotism if it bit him n his pseudo-intellectual ass!
Makes me think of the bumper sticker:
“Blind faith in bad leadership is not patriotism”
♣Bangkok Bob♣ @ 7:
I’m not a praying man….but I am praying now that America gets this man in the WH!!!!
This is something that not only this country needs…but the rest of the world needs also…the LAST thing this nation, and the planet needs is another 4 years of Neo-Con incompetence.
Someone needs to ask the psuedo-patriotic Goldberg just exactly how he supports America. The chickenhawk right doesn’t want to pay any taxes. They don’t want to serve in the military. So, in what way are they supporting America? Explain it to me, please.
I think Goldberg is absolutely right. But then again, I’m brain dead.
Steve Barber @ 12:
:) LOL!
DC @ 15:
Yeah, that’s jingoism, ain’t it?
Patriotism is love of country. It is not jingoism.
The right has managed to redefine words to suit themselves, but this one has a very thin veneer. One young right wingnut I know said he wouldn’t give up his private sector pharmacist job to answer the call when the military is short of pharmacists with the dismissive, “There’s nothing in it for me.” Even our current CINCUS was AWOL through much of his military obligation because service was inconvenient. Darth said he had better things to do than serve. These are the assholes who wrap themselves in the flag and claim only they are patriots.
I am a patriot - they are nothing more than self serving little
a 2008 presidentital candidate knows what patriotism is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1LhCch-JEo
a group of Iraq war veterans know what patriotism is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wh4XGmfJo4
We have no idea what to call this:
http://thinkprogress.org/?s=bush+dances
or this:
http://thinkprogress.org/index.php?s=bush+jokes
I think Obama could appeal to even more Americans by pointing out the strengths of America, the beauty of every state, our good people, our hope that America will be great again because of our compassion for others, our diversity, our creativity, our interest in others in the world. The untapped strength of America’s people. Patriotism, like love, is about cherishing and protecting, if need be, what one holds precious.
Patriotism is far more than a word. And it certainly isn’t a flag lapel pin.
Neither the warmongering of the neo-”right” nor the collectivist slavery of the left is patriotism. A true patriot understands and stands for freedom.
What, the same guy who trotted out the stupidest phrase known to man: LiberalFascism?
Jumpin Jesus on a pogo stick.
Patriotism is thelast refuge of the Scoundrel, the Church is second, if that doesn’t work there is always Switzerland or South America.
For someone who is not from your country (I’m from Denmark) chanting USA, USA,… seems, I’m sorry to say, as bizarre behavior. Same with the notion of patriotism (some might say nationalism), that you always have to confirm yourself that USA is the greatest country in the world.
Dem: “Do you like my American flag pin?”
Repub: “It sure is small. What’re you ashamed of?”
Dem: “Did you hear me saying the ‘Pledge of Allegiance?’”
Repub: “Barely. What’re you ashamed of? Do you not know all of the words?”
For republicans, loud means proud.
Patriotism is love of country. It is not jingoism.
Yup. ‘Zactly. And Mr. Goldberg has served his country exactly how, again.
He’s saying conservotards are duller than a piece of wet toast and need things explained very slowly and with small words. Or very loudly with jingoistic phrases that they can learn to parrot easily. The scary ‘lefties’ expect people to understand concepts and tend to speak using a vocabulary that far surpasses the sixth grade level of most conservotards.
liberalHUSSEINmoderation @ 16:
I’m not a praying man either, but amen to that. (whatever the f*ck amen means)
I’m not in the US, but I can tell you that everywhere I go, be it Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, India plus all the Europeans I run into traveling through here… They are all hoping to see Obama win.
Dale @ 2:
Because being republican is the minimum standard
I consider myself patriotic. After all, I haven’t fled the country yet have I.
After seven years of an administration (and supporters) who touted patriotism as unquestioning loyalty to the administration and the party rather than the Constitution or to the United States of America and who questioned the patriotism of those who dared criticized the decision to go to war or the decisions of the government, I am certainly ready for a dramatic change in direction. I long for a restoration of democracy and respect for the people of this nation.
The problem with Jonah Goldberg and cohorts is that they lack an understanding or an appreciation of what true patriotism really is. These are the same people who gage someone’s patriotism of lack thereof by whether or not that person spent $2.99 on a made in China lapel pin of the U.S. flag. Patriotism comes cheap, apparently, really CHEAP.
krisken @ 25:
Communism and socialism is commonly accepted as being on the “left” or “liberal” side of the “spectrum”, but somehow people like you decide that fascism is “right-wing”. The reality of it is that fascism and communism are essentially equal.
This left/right conservative/liberal bullshit serves no purpose other than dissension among those who might otherwise band together to oppose government oppression. We should oppose it on all levels — whether the government is killing innocent foreigners, using force and threats to extract money from Americans, spying on our communications, destroying the dollar, subverting foreign governments, ‘fixing’ prices, etc. These are all evil and all part of the *same* system — they are not opposites on some imaginary left/right scale, and we don’t have to choose a side between some of these evils or others. We should oppose them all.
I would love to ask Mr. Goldberg if he talks enough about being hetrosexual. And if he does not talk enough about being hetrosexual. Is he hetrosexual?
♣Bangkok Bob♣ @ 32:
Oh man…no pressure, right? LOL!
Nobody on the Right even meets the Rights standards for being a good patriot. Hell if you look at history even Reagan isn’t very Reaganesque.
Nobody can meet the Rights standards because they are not meant to be met, the standards are only in place so they can tell their base how unpatriotic their opponents are.
The “left” or “Liberals”, whatever you want to label those people have Patriotism down and know exactly what it is in meaning. Patriotism is not about submitting yourself to a regime that continues to take away your civil liberties because of some threat. Nor is it Patriotic to blindly support a military that has no choice but to carry out those orders, be they criminal acts or otherwise, given to them by that same regime. The people that call that sort of thing Patriotic are serfs or peasants and can also be found in places like North Korea. They would rather support that criminal regime’s actions and smile out of fear than hold that regime accountable. What these people are doing by chanting “USA” is taking a stand and demanding change. That takes courage to do and they get that courage from people like Obama.
patriot @ 36:
Your ideas intrigue me. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Wasn’t it Bill Maher who said something like:
Being patriotic is like having a big dick. If you have to brag about it, it’s probably not true.
Should have shown courage and demanded change when the USSC overruled the people and installed Bush.
It sure would have saved us a lot of trouble.
Goldberg who wears the patriotic stains of Cheetohs orange and Mountain Dew green on his massive gut wouldn’t know a patriot if he sat on him. The pea brain of NRO is intimidated by Obama because he is all that Doughy will never be: smart, charismatic,and successful.
knud @ 27:
WHAAAAAT!!!!
The Danes don’t see america as the greatest country EVER?!?!?!?!
ATTACK!!!!
/snark off
seriously though, it interesting the way a large subset of america NEEDS (like a crystal meth bump) to hear, say and be assured that america is ‘the best country ever’, and there is no comprehension that other nationalities might not necessarily agree (to say the least). its as if these americans weren’t constantly bombarded with this propaganda then their own doubts might cause them to doubt their militant jingoism. and we just can’t have that, can we?
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.
Patriotism is proud of a country’s virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues.
The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country’s virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, “the greatest,” but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is.
“USA! USA!”
Has nothing to do with patriotism.
It is what organizers have their zombies chant to drown out Protesters.
It is an old Pat Robertson trick from his 1992 campaign that was copied by everyone that year and since.