Who are the real Patriots?
I never intended to write anything political on this blog. But as I said on a post a while ago, these aren't ordinary times. The United States has for the first time in a long time had some political news that shows we haven't (yet) completely abandoned our democracy to grifters and con men.
I'm pretty far to the left on most issues. As in philosophy and cognitive science, my political views line up pretty closely to those of Noam Chomsky. But unlike a lot of people on the left, I've always felt that the US, in spite of our crimes, in many ways was a source for good for most of our history. We forget that at the time of our revolution the idea that a large western nation could be ruled by democracy wasn't a left or right idea, it was a radical idea that most of the elite in Europe considered the way most people in the US today think about democratic socialism. The US revolution was in many ways the spark for the French revolution and then for the many revolutions afterwards that changed Europe from being run by Kings and Queens to democracies. Karl Marx explicitly praised the American Revolution in a message to Lincoln. Ho Chi Minh opened Vietnam’s 1945 declaration with language from the American Declaration of Independence and cited George Washington as one of his role models.
Also, unlike most people on the left, I don't think there is anything wrong with being a patriot. But my definition of a patriot isn't someone who supports their nation no matter what. My definition of a patriot is someone who thinks their nation should be a force for good and criticizes it when it deviates from those standards. A patriot expects their country to live up to its best ideals. Our history includes slavery, genocide against Native Americans, entrenched racism, and replacing the European nations as the dominate imperialist empire after WWII. It also includes helping Europeans rebuild through the Marshall Plan, helping the world eradicate smallpox, and going to the moon. I'm old enough to remember when Armstrong set foot on the moon. It wasn't celebrated as "we beat the commies" it was celebrated as an achievement for the entire human race. We can acknowledge our crimes and take pride in our achievements. Both should inform what we expect of ourselves today.
I also admire an ethic that seems too easily forgotten: people who prosper from the opportunities this country provides owe something in return. Success brings responsibilities. The more advantages you have enjoyed, the stronger your obligation to help others. JFK and RFK gave memorable voice to that ethic. Born into extraordinary privilege, they called on Americans to look beyond themselves and they led by example. Their father was one of the biggest SOB's in the business world of his time (even he would probably admit that) but he raised his children to value more than just money.
Compare that with the Trump crime family who view politics as a way to make money (which none of them could do legitimately, they are all terrible at actual business, including their father). One of Trump's many lies is that he's a successful businessman. Nothing could be further from the truth, he's the only person who couldn't make money from a casino. Everyone of his business ventures has been a failure that makes money by conning people rather than delivering quality products and services. Then there is RFK Jr., turning his back on every value that his father and uncles represented and embracing pseudoscience. E.g., responding to the Texas measles outbreak by saying, “We have measles outbreaks every year.” But yesterday the US electorate responded to the incredible immorality that we let take control of our government. We still have a long way to go but for the first time in a long time, I feel like we're heading in the right direction.
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