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July 4, 2008
Rational Patriotism
Mark Twain wrote,
Remember this, take it to heart, live by it, die for it if necessary: that our patriotism is medieval, outworn, obsolete; that the modern patriotism, the true patriotism, the only rational patriotism, is loyalty to the Nation ALL the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it. ["The Czar's Soliloquy," The North American Review, February 2, 1905. Emphasis in original]
While written in the context of events in early twentieth century Russia, I think these words also speak to much that passes for patriotism in the contemporary United States and in most countries most of the time. And I am not alone in this thought. For example, earlier this week, Barack Obama quoted a rather watered down version of Twain's language,
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
This is the way the quotation is best known but it is not the way Twain wrote it. I think the more common version omits a very important nuance, loyalty to a government that doesn't deserve it is irrationally and ultimately unpatriotic. Luckily many of us live in countries where, at least in theory, we can change a government that does not deserve our loyalty.
To my readers in the US, Happy and Rational 4th of July!
Posted by Duane Smith at July 4, 2008 12:26 PM | Read more on Mark Twain |
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Comments
I feel like revising that quote to: "[...] that the modern patriotism, the true patriotism, the only rational patriotism, is loyalty to *HUMANITY* ALL the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it."
In fact, let's just skip loyalty to government altogether and just say "loyalty to logic". There, that's much simpler, isn't it? :)
Posted by: Glen Gordon at July 18, 2008 7:04 PM
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