Figure 1.--Marxist professors in American universities in addition to reviving anti-Semitism have demonized American patriotism, but in addition to promoting the killer apps of both political freedom (democracy) and economic freedom (capitalism) as well as providing refuge for the oppressed people of Europe in the 19th century, only 5 yeas after this Fourth of July photograph was taken, the United States would single handedly invent international humanitarianism and then go on to prevent Imperial Germany from dominating Europe and Europeans from starving. The next generation of Americans, including the children here would play a central role in destroying the dystopian nightmares of NAZI Germany and Imperial Japan. Another generation would help destroy the totalitarian Soviet Union. All this was accomplished with a healthy dose of American patriotism--without which the world would be a very different place today. .

Patriotism has been defined as love, devotion, and a felling of attachment to a country. Often there is an ethnic connection. This as the case in Europe where nation states first developed, commonly around the dominant ethnic groups. In Africa this ethnic component manifests itself manifests itself in the importance of tribal (ethnic) groups which in many cases are more important than country allegiances, largely because tribal connections were ignored when colonial boundaries were drawn. The United States was the first country to break that mold because even during the Revolutionary War, America was becoming a multi-national country, and in the 20th century emerged as a multi-ethnic country. The Euroopeans, especially the Germans, were convinced that nationalism not based on a core ethnicity had no real foundation. National and ethnic ties can break a country apart. This was a major factor leading to the implosion of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia (1990s). Patriotism is related to nationalism, but is not the same thing. Patriotism is the primary expression of nationalism. Patriotism is a relatively new expression for for a feeling that has ancient roots. The notions of civic virtue and dedication to the state existed in cultures globally throughout history. The Greeks and especially the Romans idealized civic virtue. Enlightenment thinkers made an issue of secular ties as opposed to the religions commitment inherited from the medieval era. We see patriotic struggles throughout history. Many such confrontations are lost to history, but a multitude of such instances are known. We see this when the Egyptians expelled the Hyksos. The Hebrews resisting great empires (Assyrian, Babylonian, and Roman). The Greeks battling the Persians. And the Romans taking on the Carthaginians. Or the Celts resisting Caesars Legions. In modern times we see the English resisting the Spanish Armada, the British at Waterloo, the French at the Marne, and the Americans on Guadalcanal. It is only with the American and French Revolutions that the words patriot and patriotism come into vogue. There are a range of attachments that can play into patriotism, including culture, ethnicity, history, ideology, language, politics, religion, and other aspects in varying admixtures. Marxists have generally demonized patriotism. Marx and Engles insisted that "The working men have no country." 【Marx and Engles】 This of course did not preclude Stalin from an appeal to Russian patriotism to defeat the invading NAZI armies during World War II.

Sources

Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engles, "Communist Maifesto" (1848)

Created: 3:21 PM 10/13/2024
Last updated: 3:22 PM 10/13/2024