PATRIOTIC GAMES by T. Edwin Perry
I’ve noticed a disturbing trend that has been going on in Political Races wherein opponents to a certain point of view are called “Unpatriotic.” Conservatives accuse Liberals of being Unpatriotic all the time. Liberals make the same accusation of Conservatives. Both sides accuse the Progressives, who in turn point the finger at the Liberals and Conservatives. Being Patriotic has NOTHING to do with being a Conservative, or a Liberal, or a Progressive, because being Patriotic means doing and supporting what you feel is best for the COUNTRY!
Now, this might upset some of you who are taking the time to read this post, but it’s true. Patriotism is about Supporting THIS COUNTRY, not necessarily in HOW you choose to support the country. I disagree with almost everything that has been said or done by our President, Barack Obama, but I do not accuse him of being “Unpatriotic.” I supported George W. Bush through most of his Administration, but that didn’t make John Kerry or Al Gore any less Patriotic than Bush, or Bush any less patriotic than Clinton before him. Patriotism is not about Party; it’s about a love for the Country.
Patriotism is a very personal issue. Thomas Jefferson, who I believe we can all agree was a great Patriot, disagreed strongly with George Washington and John Adams, also both great Patriots, over what was best for the Country. Jefferson, along with the Anti-Federalists, believed that a STRONG Federal Government was a mistake, and that it would lead to Tyranny. Washington and Adams, along with the Federalists, believed that a WEAK Federal Government would leave the Union open to dissolution as a result of infighting between the States and aggression from Foreign Powers, such as England and France. History has proven that both the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists had valid points. Foreign Powers would seek to break us, as was proven in the War of 1812, and a Strong Federal Government has resulted in Tyranny, exemplified, in many ways, with the use of Spoils & Patronage to win political support for Andrew Jackson in 1829. The Civil War showed how weak the bonds of our Union could become under the fear of that Tyranny, and the Progressives of the Early 20th Century proved how easily that Strong Federal Government could impose its will on the States!
What is and always has been Truly Patriotic is to stand firmly for what you truly believe in, to argue your ideas with honesty and to “Question with Boldness,” as Jefferson put it, everything. It IS Patriotic to think beyond the rhetoric, outside of the party, and past the immediate stated intent. Our Founders understood that a Government OF the People, BY the People and FOR the People would always be plagued by disagreement. THE PEOPLE were intended to be the FOURTH BRANCH of Government, always mindful of the actions of the other Three, and always serving as a check on their Power. In fact, there is nothing LESS Patriotic than abdicating that power for the sake of expedience.
So, before you accuse anyone of being Unpatriotic, consider this quote by Thomas Jefferson: “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.”
In my view, Patriotism is more than just love of Country. It is also the love for (and commitment to) the principles on which this country was founded. Among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, as well as support for the US Constitution. All of it.
There are many political operatives, and even elected politicians, who appear to be more interested in pushing their personal agenda and/or exercising powers not provided for in the Constitution, than they are in doing what is best for this Country and displaying Patriotism.
By these measures, I would not label BHO a Patriot. He has always worked to advance his personal agenda and since becoming President, has worked to increase the power of the Executive Branch – an advancement towards tyranny.
One of his first power grabs was to attempt to place the census under the purview of the White House. This would have allowed BHO to control the results and thus the allocation of House seats, allocation of Federal funds and more. Fortunately he was stopped cold. There are many more examples.
I think we would all agree that improving the economy is the single most important issue facing the Country. BHO has ignored this issue and instead focused on his personal agenda of health care reform and cap and trade. The so-called stimulus bill that he championed was not a stimulus bill as much as it was a political payback bill. The money spent may prove to be the largest plank in a platform that is on path to bankrupt this country. A true Patriot would not take this chance with the country’s future.
I also have serious doubts about his Love of Country. Although BHO was born in the US, his formative years were spent in countries not favorable to the US. Do you think he ever learned about US Exceptionalism overseas?
I short, I disagree that BHO believes he is doing what is best for this Country (as a whole), but instead he is doing what is best for BHO and the factions to which he is committed. BHO is not a Patriot.
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Roger, I have the same instinctive reaction about Obama, but that’s the point: it’s instinctive. Labelling him as being “Unpatriotic,” or, more to the point, any member of “opposing party,” depending on your point of view, as being “Unpatriotic” is a type of “Thought Terminating Cliche.” (There’s a post about this concept VERY early in the blog history by my friend and site founder, Steve Hansen.) Essentially, by labelling someone as being Unpatriotic, you immediately dismiss their actions and perspectives as irrelevant.
The point of this particular post isn’t to suggest that President Obama is anything less than the worst President in the HISTORY of this country, possibly only second to FDR, but that it is reactionary and wrong to assume that the purpose of his actions is steeped in a desire to destroy this country. As he was born to communist parents and raised by socialist grandparents, educated in a Progressive school system and introduced to religion through a church devoted to social justice theology, is there any doubt that, in his mind, these practices are a good thing? And if President Obama believes these things to be POSITIVE, instead of NEGATIVE influences, wouldn’t he believe that enacting these viewpoints into American Policy would be best for the Country? And if his pursuit of instituting these policies is what he believes would be best for this Country, wouldn’t that be Patriotic?
Like I said, I don’t agree with our President on almost anything that he’s said or done since he began his campain, let alone since he took office, and I disagree with the stated goals of redistribution of wealth & social justice legislation, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt on his intentions.
By the way, this particular post had very little to do with President Obama when it was written. It was actually inspired by a post on the Facebook Pages “I Hate It When I Wake Up in the Morning and Obama is President” and “Satire Works” accusing John McCain as being Unpatriotic.
Just something to take into consideration….
My post started as a rebuttal in general, with BHO as the easiest and most visible example of my point.
When all the logical and empirical analyses of a particular decision point to one “best” choice and the opposite course of action is taken, then either the decision-maker is not working towards what is in the best interest of the country, or that person is incompetent.
Europe has given us many examples of the failures of socialism – Greece is the latest, however BHO and his band of merry liberals still want to follow this doomed path. It is either to destroy the country or because they are so incompetent they cannot see the writing on the wall.
When you “spread the wealth around” there is less incentive for those who create wealth and therefore there is less total wealth and fewer jobs – a downward spiral. (This is not an opinion, it is a fact,) If BHO (et al) knows this and still wants to do it, then he is not doing what is best for the country. If he does not know this then he is incompetent.
There are plenty of liberals that are patriots. But those who are trying to fundamentally change this country are not among them.
Was James Madison a Patriot? How about Thomas Jefferson? What about John Adams, or George Washington? Each played a part in the Fundamental Transformation of our Nation, and I’m specifically referring to the transition between the original Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, not the Revolution. And while I am in agreement that they did the RIGHT thing, is it really any different? Every Republic or Democracy to exist prior to their “Great Experiment” failed, and usually with the same level of disgrace as the socialist constructs of modern Europe, yet our Founders eventually prevailed in their attempt to transform the nation.
Bear in mind, as I’ve said, I disagree with Obama about…well…EVERYTHING. His actions are, in my humble opinion, the WRONG way to deal with our problems, but the brutal assumption that his goal of national transformation is intentionally self destructive is, by definition, incompetence. After all, he lives here. He’s part of the country. He benefits by the Nation’s continued survival, but he clearly disagrees with those aspects that are intolerant of his “Progressive,” Communist and Socialist agenda!
Of course, as with all “Revolutionaries,” he seems to believe that “this time will be different,” and while his agenda is different than mine, or ours in a Conservative sense, it is somewhat arrogant and even irresponsible to assume that we know the President’s motivation. And, in regards to the judgment of what is the “Best” course of action, that is a generally a distinction based on perspective, and it’s easy to make judgments in hindsight or from the safety of our living room couches.
Like I said before: when we leap to the conclusion that someone isn’t a Patriot, we immediate take away any possible validity to that argument. If we, as Conservatives, are confident enough in those things that we hold as being “Self Evident,” shouldn’t we be confident enough to take on opposing arguments through an open and honest discourse? Isn’t there a greater value in winning an argument through the merit of your ideas instead of the arbitrary disqualification of your opponent?