The Importance of Patriotism

"Patriotism is as much a virtue as justice, and is as necessary for the support of societies as natural affection is for the support of families." --Benjamin Rush, letter to His Fellow Countrymen: On Patriotism, 1773

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Patriotism binds a nation together, but in a healthy manner because Patriotism is a voluntary, individualistic decision.

Communists and Fascists of the past chose nationalism as their tool to create totalitarian systems.

One may consider the important distinction between a nationalist, and a patriot. Patriotism is the wholesome, constructive love of one’s land and people. Nationalism is the unhealthy love of one’s government, accompanied by the aggressive desire to build a centralized governmental system to a point that it is above all else, and becomes the ultimate provider for the public good. In short, Patriotism is love of country, Nationalism is love of government.

The frame of reference of the Founding Fathers was the British Empire. In their independence, the patriots of America desired to be as nothing like the tyranny they had won their independence from as possible. The Founding Fathers, based on their own experiences, the experiences of the colonists before them, and the realities of history, determined that freedom for individuals was best served when the governmental system was limited by the chains of a constitution. Nationalists believe that government should have the authority to enact any act of government for the purpose of forceful benevolence. But if an individual is being forced, how is it benevolent?

In the American system, the States hold original authority. All powers originally belonged to the States, and only the authorities necessary for the protection, preservation, and promotion of the union were granted to the federal government by the States. “Big Government” is when the central government expands beyond the authorities granted to it. This kind of governmental expansion is normally an attempt to transform the central government into a more nationalist system. The danger of nationalism is one of the reasons the Founding Fathers created a “federal” government, rather than a “national” government.

Today's political game has introduced a new kind of nationalism that is something even worse. . . Globalism. The love of a global system has arisen, threatening to destroy patriotism once and for all, for how can someone have a healthy love for their land and people when their country no longer exists and is nothing more than another diminished provincial puppet in a global system?

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary