Why Only Idiots Are Patriots
Clever people understand life is far too complex for simple-minded allegiances
With a tsunami of mindless populism sweeping the world and destroying our fragile civilization, it’s not surprising a lot of people consider themselves to be patriots while supporting policies that in fact serve to destroy the values they think they hold dear.
So why is this? Why do Trump supporters, Brexiteers, Le Pen voters, Orban supporters, and so many other supporters of demagogues around the world believe they are patriots? What, in fact, does patriotism even mean?
According to Wikipedia, Patriotism or national pride is the feeling of love, devotion and sense of attachment to a homeland and alliance with other citizens who share the same sentiment. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings relating to one’s own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political or historical aspects. It encompasses a set of concepts closely related to nationalism.
The key thing to note here is the stress on emotion and the absence of any intellectual component. A patriot is someone who loves their country right or wrong, who is intolerant of any criticism of their nation, and who believes their nation is “the best” regardless of the absence of any factual data supporting such a claim.
