Why Patriotism Is Indispensable for Democracies

Bruce S. Thornton "In short, democracies have been able to overcome their weaknesses in times of crisis because of political virtue: courage, self-sacrifice, duty, and patriotism. For many today, however, patriotism has been discredited, tarred with the brush of a xenophobic and bigoted nationalism allegedly responsible for the great slaughter of the two World Wars. A naive internationalism and fealty to some fantasy “global community” is supposed to be our true object of affection. Worse yet, we have institutionalized in our popular culture, schools, and media the historical guilt and self-loathing that for decades has comprised left-wing intellectual fashion, and that legitimizes distaste for one’s own country. For how can anyone love such a global villain, the font of all suffering, war, exploitation, poverty, and environmental degradation, let alone kill and die for her?"