First off, a happy 4th to all you fellow Americans out there. This– the quintessential American “holy-day”– is an occasion for all the festivities Americans enjoy: BBQs, fireworks, flag-waving, and some revisionist history. And while I’m all for some time off to enjoy a burger, beer, and casual round of “God bless the USA“, there are times when the patriotism on steroids that some people practice just scares me.
For Christians in particular, there is something insidious about the ideology of empire that is embedded in so many of our national patriotic symbols. When followers of Jesus confuse their loyalties and the agenda of the flag is always compatible with the way of the cross, then we have a problem.
Now I’m not saying Christians should be unpatriotic or disrespectful of the many wonderful things about our remarkable country; however, we must remember that the way of Jesus always calls people beyond nationalism and against the false worship of imperial ideology. The ideology of America is upheld in powerful images and culturally entrenched traditions that reinforce our perception of the U.S. as a just, benevolent nation. And though this is not a complete distortion, sometimes there is a bit more fantasy than reality.
So I wonder if a corrective to patriotism on steroids could be a more just patriotism- one that recognizes that not everyone enjoys singing “This Land is Your Land” to a festive fireworks display. For the Native Americans and other indigenous peoples who could more appropriately claim “this land is our land” over and against both British and American claims, patriotism as it is most often practiced is a mixed bag at best.
I don’t want to be Debbie Downer on whatever celebration you’ve planned for the occasion, but I do hope we can move toward a patriotism that is a bit more honest, humble, and conciliatory- that’s the America worth celebrating.
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I get your general point, but the message of “This Land Is Your Land” is 1000 miles away from “God Bless the USA”. Perhaps that has been obscured by the fact that both have been appropriated by politicians.
Comment by Woody Guthrie July 5, 2009 @ 1:52 pmWhether the level of patriotism in this country is justified is a very subjective issue. Whether or not our patriotism is more fantasy than reality again is very subjective. If in fact the United States is the most free and most just land in the world, then patriotism is more than justified. If it is not, then it is insidious.
So then we cannot claim that patriotism is overblown unless we also make the case that the United States is unjust or less just–unfree or less free–than many other nations.
Don’t presuppose that the imperialistic intentions of American ideology are universally acknowledged. You need to prove that America is imperialistic before you can ask Americans to be more humble.
Comment by randplaty July 10, 2009 @ 4:12 pm@daniel: I agree- assessing levels of justifiable patriotism is very subjective (and mostly contextual); and while I certainly wouldn’t claim objectivity on the matter, a working definition of “patriotism” would be a much longer, more complex post if we’re talking about ideology beyond mere “national pride.” So I’m not exactly sure how we can make claims that patriotism (however it is expressed) is either justifiable or not; a more appropriate question is perhaps whether it is an “informed” patriotism.
As for the US being “just” and “free”, those terms need perhaps even further clarification than patriotism, especially in light of how they’re used politically. Obviously there are dimensions of justice and freedom in which the US excels; and equally as obvious are the areas in which justice and freedom are extraordinarily lacking- take the prison industrial complex, for instance. I don’t think we can tally what is just and free on a long list of America’s merits/demerits and then compare them to other nations- this is apples and oranges at best.
So again, while I wouldn’t “presuppose that the imperialistic intentions of American ideology are universally acknowledged” (of course I don’t; I’ve seen FOX “news” like the rest of us), I don’t see how it’s necessary to “prove” anything about the US’ imperial aspirations. Just ask all the countries in the world where we’ve built military installations or staged unilateral political/military initiatives; they’ll give you an earful about the American empire, as will any ordinary bookshelf of American foreign policy at your local bookstore.
I don’t claim too many original thoughts on the Pax Americana, but if you’re looking for “proof,” you can check Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Arundhati Roy, or if you’re looking for a Christian perspective- Stanley Hauerwas, Walter Brueggemann, and many others.
Since when was calling for more national humility (or really just honesty) a shocking revelation to a country with hundreds of millions of “ugly Americans”? The unipolar world with a hegemonic American superpower at the helm is not a world I want to live in, and I don’t think that’s an “un-American” sentiment.
Comment by david July 10, 2009 @ 5:07 pm