Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label patriotism

''Rejecting Authoritarianism''

 

American Patriotism vs Nationalism: Where do you stand?

by Michael Corthell January 25, 2021 Nationalism and patriotism can be viewed as two sides of the same coin but there is a major gulf between the two. America is an exceptional nation, I say this not because I was lucky enough to be born here. I believe that America is exceptional because of the shared values, and our willingness to help other countries share our experience by enjoying the same types freedoms written into our Constitution . Looking at nationalism, America's strong national identity has always manifested itself in the form of patriotism. Out of many nations we make up one nation, a nation made up of cultures from every country in the world, therefore American nationalism shouldn't exist... In America, we have no shared ethnic heritage. Writings from our country’s founders show men who envisioned a land made up of oppressed peoples from all the nations on Earth who were fleeing political or religious tyranny. Today, as I write this America just survived an insur...

[Just Imagine] a new world, a one nation world of free people...

“Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.” ― Mark Twain Nationalism(in any country) is like this; people will do great acts of evil for what they perceive is the common good if they can spread out the guilt of those acts among the many. “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” ― James Baldwin

About blind loyalty

  "Loyalty is only a virtue if the person or cause is good". Defining Blind Loyalty Blind loyalty involves being loyal to a person or cause despite the damage the person or cause does to himself or herself or others. Excusing bad behavior in the name of protecting allegiance to another seems honorable at first, but is ultimately dangerous as silence is a form of collusion. Many people feel torn between retaining loyalty to a cause or group and risking rejection or ostracism or personal attack by outing misconduct.  Blind loyalty involves a form of cognitive dissonance where a person sees evidence of a problem or bad behavior and then turns a blind eye to the truth in favor of keeping a positive image of the person or cause. Knowing in your gut that something is wrong, and yet acting as if everything is fine. The classic example is a battered woman who protects her partner when police arrive in answer to a domestic violence call. Think of priests covering for sexual abuse amon...

Opinion: America needs true patriots

 December 16, 2020 Michael Corthell If you are wondering why America was “blessed” with the Trump presidency, wonder no more. His rise was precipitated by nationalism. If you further wonder if “all will be well” when he is gone from office the answer is no — at least not right away. What swept him into office still remains, and it is something that needs to be addressed by the Biden administration. Climate change may indeed be the world’s No. 1 existential threat. But nationalism is America’s immediate existential threat. Nationalism is not patriotism. It is, rather, a perversion of patriotism. Nationalism sees inclusion and diversity as weaknesses, while patriotism views these ideals as a way to lift each other up and unify us. Embracing our diversity is the source of our nation’s strength. “We the People” does indeed mean all the people. America must unify. America needs true patriots.