Are you patriotic? (page 3)

Dr Jekyll

Not Patriotic at all. My home country is under English rule and without sounding like Wallace I'd like my country and our North Sea Oil back please.

Darth Yhwh

Two Different Notions Of Patriotism

There have been two different notions of patriotism in American history. The one which characterizes the American people of the 20th Century – the one which is taught in our public schools – is this: patriotism means the support of one's own government and the actions which the government takes on behalf of the citizenry. The idea is that since we live in a democratic society, the majority should have the political power to take any action it desires. And although those in the minority may not like the laws, they are duty-bound as "good" citizens to obey and support them.

The distinguishing characteristic of this type of patriotism is that citizens don't make independent, personal judgments of the rightness or wrongness of a law. Instead, he does what he has been taught since the first grade of his government-approved schools: they place unwavering faith and trust in the judgment of their popularly-elected public officials.

The other concept of patriotism was the type which characterized the British colonists during the late 1700s. They believed that patriotism meant a devotion to certain principles of rightness and morality. They believed that the good citizen had the duty to make an independent judgment as to whether or not his own government's laws violated these principles. And so, unlike their counterparts in America today, these individuals refused to automatically accept the legitimacy of the actions of their public officials. Let us examine how "real world" applications of these two concepts of patriotism differ dramatically.

In The Eighteenth Century . . .

In the late 1700s, the British colonists suffered under the same type of oppressive regulations and tax system that present-day Americans are suffering. What was the reaction of the colonists to this regulatory and tax tyranny? They deliberately chose to ignore and disobey their government's regulations and tax acts. Smuggling and tax evasion were the order of the day! And the more that their government tried to enforce the restrictions, the more it met with disregard and disobedience from the citizenry.

Sometimes smugglers or tax evaders would be caught and brought to trial. The result? Despite conclusive evidence of guilt and the judges' instructions to convict, the defendants' fellow citizens on the juries regularly voted verdicts of acquittal.

And civil disobedience was not limited to economic regulations and taxation. There was also widespread resistance to conscription, especially during the French and Indian War. Those who were conscripted deserted the army in large numbers. And those who had not been conscripted hid the deserters in their homes.

This was what it once meant to be a patriot – the devotion to a certain set of principles regarding rightness, morality, individualism, liberty, and property; and it meant a firm stand against one's own government when it violated these principles.

. . . And Today

If an American of today were magically transported back to colonial America of the late 1700s, he would immediately find himself at odds with the colonists who were resisting the tyranny of their government. How do we know this? By the way which Americans of today respond to what is a much more oppressive and tyrannical economic system: with either meekness or, even worse, with ardent, "flag-waving" support for the actions of their rulers.

And what is their attitude toward their fellow citizens who are caught violating the rules and regulations? Again, either meekness or fervent support of the rulers. After all, what was the reaction to the Internal Revenue Service's seizure of Willie Nelson's property? "I'll make a small donation but otherwise don't get me involved – I don't want them coming after me!" And to the conviction of Michael Milken for violating such ridiculous economic regulations that were so ridiculous that even King George would have been embarrassed? "He got what's coming to him – he shouldn't have made so much money anyway!" And to Leona Helmsley's conviction for having taken improper deductions on her income tax return? "She's obnoxious – she should go to jail." The thought of rising to the defense of these victims of political tyranny is anathema to the present-day American "patriot."

And what about jury trials involving economic crimes? Like the good, little citizens they have been taught to be, especially in their public schools, American "patriots" dutifully comply with the judge's instructions to convict fellow citizens of violating this regulatory and tax tyranny. Although they have the same power as their ancestors to disregard the judge's instructions and to acquit their fellow citizens, the thought of doing so is repugnant to present-day "patriots." They choose instead to do their "duty" and thereby become "patriotic" agents of their own government's tyranny.

Therefore, there is no doubt that the American of today would feel very uncomfortable if, all of a sudden, he found himself in the British colonies in 1776 in the midst of smugglers, tax evaders, draft resisters, and other patriots of the time.

The above is an excerpt of an article written by Jocob G. Hornberger. The entire article is available for your reading pleasures on the International Society for Individual Liberty’s website: www.free-market.net

Do I consider myself patraiotic? Absolutly, however I would catagorize myself as an eighteenth century patriot rather than a modern day one.

acadian

Therefore, there is no doubt that the American of today would feel very uncomfortable if, all of a sudden, he found himself in the British colonies in 1776 in the midst of smugglers, tax evaders, draft resisters, and other patriots of the time.

I wouldn't feel uncomfortable, i'd fit right in there. It's sad the schools (government run) don't teach what the Consistution really says... And when did we become a democracy, look at the Consistution we were, a Republic, not a democracy! Democracy = two wolves and a sheep deciding what to have for lunch.....looks like lamb to me... Good post Darth ! Acadian

zagor

After experience with j-dubs, for me at least, unquestioning patriotism is about as bad as surrendering one's life to WTBS. I this day and age people deserve answers before laying their lives down for someone's ideas. After all we've got only chance of living, there's no heaven or hell to go to but cold groud 6 feet under, so why hurry the process.

Fe2O3Girl

Dr Jekyll - How many English MPs sit in the Scottish Parliament? How many Scottish MPs sit in the UK Government?

When, exactly, did England invade Scotland?

Rachel

Dave_T

"A nation is a society united by a delusion about its ancestory and by a common hatred of its neighbors."

under_believer

I love my country.
I hate my government.
These are not mutually exclusive views.

Are you patriotic?