Observation on Liberal view of Patriotism from Jonah Goldberg - Granite Grok

Observation on Liberal view of Patriotism from Jonah Goldberg

From the latter part of his post:

…It’s ironic. In 2009, conservatives (myself included) pounced when Barack Obama seemed to dismiss American exceptionalism as an empty platitude. “I believe in American exceptionalism,” Obama explained, “just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”

Which is to say, there is no such thing as American Exceptionalism.  One of my favorite phrases comes from an animated film – The Incredibles – a nuclear family that has to hide its superpowers from those that are envious (and thus believe them to be “unfair”):  “If everyone is special, then no one is special”.  And that was the point that Obama was and continues to make (and make true) – that America isn’t and shouldn’t be anything special.

By this standard, American exceptionalism isn’t exceptional, it’s a vague and meaningless form of national self-esteem, rather than a complex concept describing the uniqueness of the American founding and American character.

And that is what most Liberals wish to forget and for the rest of us as well –   so they try to make it about the American people instead that America, among all other countries, was founded on ideas and a philosophy of Liberty instead of being merely a factor of geographical location.

Liberals quickly and angrily defended Obama, saying none should dare question his patriotism, and of course he believes America is special. In May, Obama took another stab, telling West Point graduates that he believes in American exceptionlism “with every fiber of my being.” But he immediately qualified what he meant by insisting that “what makes us exceptional is not flouting international norms and the rule of law; it’s our willingness to affirm them through our actions.”

Translation: We prove we’re exceptional by playing just like everyone else — just like playing soccer!

In other words, just one in a crowd of many; nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing that cause one to stick out of that crowd.  Exceptionalism is now defined as being part of the Collective.  All part of the plan: redefine the language and one redefines thought pattern.  Doubleplusgood if one is on the Left.  And if one can be reduced from believing we are special, how less of an effort to go down that next rung?  What is next for the devaluation (other than the worth of our Citizenship – Obama is already handling that with his Imperial decrees by opening our borders to all comers) – what is the next most valuable item – the complete devaluation of The Rule of Law, shredding the last vestiges of staying within the bounds of the Constitution?

And then to Jonah’s most important point, the difference in the source of patriotism between the Left and the Right:

Why liberals have become so comfortable running down America is no doubt complicated, but I think one part of the answer is obvious. Liberals tend to equate patriotism with the government. Obama was supposed to usher in a glorious new era of European-style big government. He’s failed, though alas not entirely. But in the attempt he aroused a populist movement — the tea parties — full of people who wore their traditional patriotism on their sleeves and tricorn hats. The forces of American exceptionalism proved formidable, taking advantage of our exceptional constitutional structure to thwart European social democracy.

And liberal resentment over that fact is palpable.

The Left worships and hangs their sense of patriotism from a sense of belonging to Government – and have little regard for those that don’t (the Collecive hates those that will resist hardcore to the Collective).  The Right’s patriotism comes from love of country – the land, the history, its people, and what we have accomplished.  Government, while acknowledged to be the best when compared to all others, does play a role but a minor role.  The gap is wide and I doubt, bridgeable.

It is hard to maintain a single country when the two political theories are in so much opposition and totally incompatible.

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