Why a Liberal is Unpatriotic
July 3rd, 2008 at 08:51am Mark Noonan
Matthew Rothschild over at The Progressive:
…those things that truly made us great—the system of checks and balances, the enshrinement of our individual rights and liberties—have all been systematically assaulted by Bush and Cheney.
From the Patriot Act to the Military Commissions Act to the new FISA Act, and all the signing statements in between, we are less great today.
From Abu Ghraib and Bagram Air Force Base and Guantanamo, we are less great today.
From National Security Presidential Directive 51 (giving the Executive responsibility for ensuring constitutional government in an emergency) to National Security Presidential Directive 59 (expanding the collection of our biometric data), we are less great today.
From the Joint Terrorism Task Forces to InfraGard and the Terrorist Liaison Officers, we are less great today.
Admit it. We don’t have a lot to brag about today.
It is time, it is long past time, to get over the American superiority complex.
It is time, it is long past time, to put patriotism back on the shelf—out of the reach of children and madmen.
The madmen would presumptively be Bush and Cheney - now, to be fair to Mr. Rothschild, he does list other American sins which are noy intrinsic to Bush/Cheney - our consumerism and other evils, real and imagined, which the left dredges up from time to time to prove that we’re a bunch of creeps…and if we’d only all become leftists, all would be made better. The curious thing about Mr. Rothschild’s article is that it starts out condemning nationalism - even saying that it is a worse killer than religion, and that is a great concession on the part of any leftist. After all, the whole point of religion - and especially Christianity, and most especially Catholicism - is to kill and destroy and hold down…so to say that nationalism is a bigger ill is astounding, and demonstrates the author’s sincerity in being the anti-patriot.
And yet, he ends his bit by lamenting the way Bush and Cheney have allegedly done away with the US Constitution - in other words, he’s distressed over the supposed demise of a national government. This would seem to indicate that it isn’t really nationalism which gets Mr. Rothschild upset, but a sort of nationalism he doesn’t like. He’s convinced himself that if only we could recover our old, hallowed Constitutional structure, we’d be a better nation…no reactionary ever said it better (side note: the curious thing about leftists is how very reactionary they actually are).
Earlier in the piece the author condemns another writer for pointing out that we love our nation the same way we love our family - because they are ours. Mr. Rothschild doesn’t like this concept at all - in fact, he’s of the opinion that there’s something inherently wrong with loving the nation you’re born in simply because it is your native land - such love is somehow imposed and thus false. For Mr. Rothschild, we should love what is lovable - which is true, in a very narrow sense, but the real test of human character is to love what is unlovely.
It is easy to love the sublime, much harder to find the love in the ridiculous. Given that most human actions tend towards the latter, however, if we are to really love at all, then we’re going to have to set our minds to loving those things which we find disagreeable. Its either that, or hardly have any love at all. The great hearted person looks upon America - warts and all - and still says, “I love you”. Just as a good man will say of his wife that she is beautiful, even if her prime was some time ago - just as a kindly person will observe the flawed, remember his own flaws, and then seek out what is wonderful amongst the flaws, and build on that. If we’re to suspend our love of country - our patriotism, that is - until such time as our country exactly suits us, then we will wait forever, and never get what we want. To hold to Mr. Rothschild’s view is to hold a view common to a petulant child, but not something a mature mind concerns itself with.
I, on the other than, do love America - even Mr. Rothschild, and those like him. I wouldn’t dream of having an America without them - they are mine, and so I love them, even as I hope they’ll eventually change their views. I love this land not because it is perfect, but because it has much good in it, and I’ll concentrate on that and seek to expand that, in order that this land I love becomes more lovable over time, even though it will never through human agency become entirely lovable.
Entry Filed under: Patriotism
46 Comments Add your own
1. french student | July 3rd, 2008 at 9:19 am
Question:
do you disagree on this part of the quote?
If so, please show how these things are good things, how they have made you greater.
If you do not disagree, can you understand now why this guy feels let down by his country?
You may love your country and accept its flaw, but he has a right to attempt to right these flaws, does he not?
2. bagni | July 3rd, 2008 at 9:20 am
hey earthlings it’s me your alien friend
it’s the fourth of july……the united states biggest birthday party
as always us interstellar independence day-glos are bewildered
why are humans so crazy about fireworks?
is it the ultimate patriot act?
your founding fathers did blow up lots of stuff and more than a few fingers were lost for your freedom
actually?… when we first hovered over a july 4th rockets red glare, bombs bursting in air celebration we thought we were under attack…..and as you know…..we come in pyrotechnic peace baby….
us spacerangers wonder?….this annual fireworks pageantry…. are you attacking yourselves???
fireworks accidents used to kill 600 humanoids a year
but earthlings have evolved and now only have 6.4 fireworks related deaths per year…congratulations
this weeks roman candle, m80, captain boom fireworks stand, cherry bomb, funeral pyre, c’mon baby light my fire…cracker alien truth
mr. spacely and i know humans have a soft spot for sparklers
fireworks are kind of safe and sort of permissible but also sort of dangerous and kind of against the law
which makes them immensely appealing to all americanoids
blowing up stuff not only celebrates your freedom, it certifies it….
a patriotic deed even george washington would have endorsed
the alientruth.com recommends letting your red/white and blue freak flag fly
just try not to set it on fire….ok?
ack ack
3. Some Assembly Required | July 3rd, 2008 at 9:24 am
“You may love your country and accept its flaw, but he has a right to attempt to right these flaws, does he not?” French Student
Wouldn’t that be a true definition of a Patriotic in the Mark Twain sense? A Man who stands against the wrongs in his country that go against the ideals which his country was founded on.
4. neocon | July 3rd, 2008 at 9:37 am
“To hold to Mr. Rothschild’s view is to hold a view common to a petulant child, but not something a mature mind concerns itself with.” - Mark
Brilliant observation which is equally applied to 99% of all liberal thought.
french,
Mr. Rothschild has every right to speak his mind, in fact family members of mine, and many others have died defending that right.
But I also have the right to oppose him, of which I do. I think his assessment of those policies are based in perpetuating fear to further his agenda and nothing more.
bags,
It’s the 3rd of July.
Go back to your star trek episodes. Tomorrow you can childishly muse about bombs.
have a patriotic day
peace, neocon
5. CanadianObserver | July 3rd, 2008 at 10:18 am
Look, forget who does and who does not put on the greatest ‘patriotism’ act.
Americans are sick and tired of being perceived as an international joke, as they have been during Bush’s terms in office.
It’s now time for y’all to be, if not loved again, at least respected to some degree, and that will not happen under McCain who is just an sad extension of the current gang.
You can dismiss world opinion all you want; nevertheless, the man you elect to your highest office not only governs the U.S. but is also leader of the free world.
American voters have the opportunity to change the perception of being first-class losers to once more being a progressive, vibrant nation.
Let’s hope they don’t blow it.
6. bagni | July 3rd, 2008 at 10:19 am
neo
the point being
astro americans only have to blow off fireworks
to be patriotic
it’s that simple
now get in the spatial spirit
7. FmrMarine | July 3rd, 2008 at 10:41 am
CO
as usual you know NOTHING frog.
Id worry more about the collapse of your glorious “health care” system, and the imminent implementation of sharia law than about and Americas supposed reputation or GWB.
If earbama wins we all lose, because we are the 800 pound gorilla protecting your sorry asses.
8. Retired Spook | July 3rd, 2008 at 10:55 am
French Student,
Rather than just repeating a portion of the quote, can you tell us how any of the things you listed have made America LESS great? Would America have been more great if we had foregone all the things you listed in exchange for, say, the vaporization of an American city or two? Would America be greater if we would just adopt the mindset of Israel and live with a low level of terrorist violence as John Kerry wanted to do? Would that make the rest of the world like us? Respect us? Would America be greater if we did away with law enforcement simply because law enforcement officials occasionally trample the rights of innocent citizens? Is France “greater” because of its stellar history of defending itself against outside aggression? Has that resulted in France being liked and respected by the rest of the world?
9. neocon | July 3rd, 2008 at 10:58 am
CO,
I don’t want yours, or the worlds respect.
You, and they, need to worry more about your respective countries malfeasances and not ours.
Bye.
have a canadian day
peace, neocon
10. bagni | July 3rd, 2008 at 11:21 am
us orbital observers are with neoman on this one
who cares about radarian respect?
the cosmic ones would just like a dollar that is worth something
that would be a good start
11. Bigfoot | July 3rd, 2008 at 11:40 am
You can dismiss world opinion all you want
World opinion? Where was world opinion when Saddam was stuffiing dissenters into wood chipping machines or throwing people (including children) into prison for nothing more than failing to watch him on state-sponsored TV? When Saddam was flipping the bird at numerous UN resolutions aimed at getting him to live up to his part of the ceasefire agreement of 1991? (So much for the tool of negotiation that the left thinks so much of.) But when a bunch of misguided troops (who have since been PUNISHED for their stupidity) put panties on a prisoner’s head, then world opinion wakes up and smells the coffee.
the enshrinement of our individual rights and liberties—have all been systematically assaulted by Bush and Cheney.
The only systematic assault on our civil liberties under Bush and Cheney has been all that enhanced security at airports, on the chance that someone, somewhere, even a non-muslim, might be a terrorist.
Number of Americans who have been punished by the government for exercising their civil liberties to criticize Bush and Cheney: ZERO.
McCain who is just an sad extension of the current gang.
McCain spent more time in the Hanoi Hilton (where they really tortured prisoners) than his rival will have accumulated in the Senate as of 1/20/2009. And he is NOT an extension of the “current gang”, having differed with Bush on tax cuts, embryonic stem cell research and CO2 emissions.
12. Retired Spook | July 3rd, 2008 at 11:47 am
the cosmic ones would just like a dollar that is worth something
Along those same lines: (and I’m sure this probably dates me as being a really old fart)
13. OhioOrrin | July 3rd, 2008 at 11:50 am
liberal is widely misused.
leftist is more precise.
leftists are “one worlders” & therefore are unpatriotic by definition.
14. Jason Lews | July 3rd, 2008 at 12:12 pm
By abandoning the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Geneva Convention, and International Law, the US went went from a victim terrorism to becoming terrorists ourselves.
15. Sarah Bloch | July 3rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Deleted - off topic.
16. David B. Schmidt | July 3rd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
America is the solution to the world’s problems. We are not the problem.
17. '08ama | July 3rd, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Patriotism is love of your country, not love of your government. Dont get the 2 confused.
18. '08ama | July 3rd, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Bigfoot:
Quit trying to justify the war and ENLIST will ya.
Bush is due any minute now with his 3,466th attempt at justifying this mess.
19. js | July 3rd, 2008 at 12:56 pm
patriotism is the desire to preserve your country and its culture, loving your country without protecting what it stands for is not being a patriot, its is a cowards life and most mental midgets belong in that catagory, along with lemmings and liberals and that sort of squalor…
we show our patriotism through our involvement within our communities at the local, state, and national levels….which are government agencies designed by the constitution to both protect and preserve our way of life….when we no longer love our government….which is essentially nothing more than a reflection of our constitution and our commitment to our constitution, then we belong in the lemming line with the cowards that call themselves liberals and whotnot.
20. Jason Lews | July 3rd, 2008 at 1:03 pm
“Patriotism is the desire to preserve your country and its culture…”
Culture changes. It is called social evolution.
If our country’s culture did not evolve, we would still own slaves, women would not be allowed to vote, Catholics would be victims of job discrimination, and Irish guys like me and Noonan would still be at the bottom of the barrel.
21. Jay Gaultieri | July 3rd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Deleted - off topic.
22. Kahn | July 3rd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Abandoning the Bill of Rights?
Oh, that’s right. The liberal attempts to stifle and suppress conservative speech (unwarranted legal attacks on Rush, trying to pass the fairness doctrine, making political speech illegal for most conservative groups just prior to elections.)
Or not supporting freedom of the press by attacking the ONE independent news network in the country?
Or attacking people as “lobbyists” who are in fact exercising the right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances. ”
Or maybe the incessant attacks on the right to defend yourself?
Or attacking the Boy Scouts right to free association?
But maybe you’ve been forced to house troops during peacetime and I hadn’t heard about it.
23. Kahn | July 3rd, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Jay,
So how does the fact that 70% of the budget is entitlments help build bridges?
And FYI, the low dollar needs to be low. We had an insane trade deficit going. It was unsustainable. Now, our products are competitive again.
Look to the liberal arguments about pain being necessary to get off oil.
24. Jason Lews | July 3rd, 2008 at 1:43 pm
“Something has gone terribly wrong in the President Bush 43 era”
This terrible era started with Reagan.
Clinton did not help any by selling out to corporations by passing NAFTA and allow mega-media mergers.
His invasion of on Eastern Europe was just as illegal as Bush’s invasion of Iraq.
It was also Clinton that initiated rendition.
We cannot be blinded by party. We must chose the best individual to be president. That person was Dennis K, followed by John E. Barack O. was my third choice, but he is still far far better than McSame.
25. Retired Spook | July 3rd, 2008 at 1:49 pm
We cannot be blinded by party. We must chose the best individual to be president. That person was Dennis K
ROTFLMAO!!!
26. neocon | July 3rd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I liked that one too Spook.
have an alien kind of day
peace, neocon
27. Carl Gordon | July 3rd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
More blather! More ingorant catterwall! Is there ever going tobe any end to this chickenhawk phony bluster? Fortunately, there is.
Our universe is hastily expanding willy-nilly in all directions. It will likely persist to do so for a very, very long time (Think of “Last Year at Marienbad” or “At Long Last Love”, extrapolated to the power of 1000!). After that time, if the concreteness of matter in the universe is greater than a firm critical value, the universe will slow to a stop due to reciprocal gravitational attraction, and disintegrate unto itself, in a reversal of the Big Bang called the Big Crunch. Conditions during the Big Crunch will be analogous to those during the Big Bang: mind-boggling heat, more “reality” shows on T.V., matter ripped to subatomic particles, dogs sleeping with cats, Cheney still not in prison, primary forces such as gravitation and electromagnetism merging back together, that sort of thing, oki-dokey?
Yes, (happily) Earth would be destroyed. So would the rest of the universe. A tiny orb of iron coated with dirt and a few GOP pinheads stands little chance against circumstances like that, which I’m pretty jazzed about, by the way. Earth’s final resting place: Quark-gluon plasma? Pure energy? Part of the next universe? Perhaps a hidden track on the next Maltmen CD available in alternate realities and parallel universes near you.
And in regards to what you are saying, perhaps there would be one universe out of an immeasurable number of possibilities where your stupid, ignorant, political dysentery would not only make sense but be embraced by the majority of single cell and multi cell beings with cerebral cortexes no bigger than a pinhead (ironic, isn’t it).
Honestly, there’s the possibility that I may not be correct, but you would never know, even with infinite parallel universes - nobody gives a fuck what you have to say. But if all this comes to pass, there won’t be a planet anymore. And there won’t be reality challenged GOP dipshits either. So what’s there not to like, right?
28. Retired Spook | July 3rd, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Carl, you sound bitterly irrational. You really should seek help, or, at the very least, get back on your meds. Tell the truth, now — you’re really Dennis K in disguise, right?
29. js | July 3rd, 2008 at 2:56 pm
“Culture changes. It is called social evolution.”
Changes? Evolution? YOU must be a bleeding lemming too eh? Liberals all think alike, they walk backwards, look forward, and call the change evolution.
Evolution isnt legalizing sodomy. Evolution is not child sacrifice for the god of convenience. You think lesbians and sodomites represent evolution? WRONG!!! in a pigs eye.
Our constitution is based on an unchangable code defining right from wrong, control from chaos, and it was forged after thousands of years of human bondage, by free men learning the essential elements of free society based upon “the laws of nature, and of natures God”, to protect the rights we hold dear, the rights that “evolution” is destroying.
This “social evolution” isnt evolution at all, its devolution, walking backwards into the darkness. Nice try, but your head is either congested with rhetoric or fooled by your own ignorance if you call it evolution….
30. OhioOrrin | July 3rd, 2008 at 2:59 pm
dennis had 2 withdraw after his dem opponent, in the primary, distributed “WANTED A CONGRESSMAN” posters all over the district & so dennis was feeling pressure.
dennis was spending too much time in orange, palm springs, & other leftist bastions raising money 4 prez.
then he’d run a ultra-lean, debate-only national campaign &, under campaign finance laws, convert the remaining millions to run his congressional campaign.
not so dumb after all, eh?
31. Jay Gaultieri | July 3rd, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Deleted - off topic.
32. Carl Gordon | July 3rd, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Deleted - off topic.
33. Kahn | July 3rd, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Thanks Jay. Good comeback. Why look for facts when hatred fills the gaps so nicely.
34. SEW | July 3rd, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Carl, that was hilarious! Thank God you’re a liberal.
I just never realized how important alpha was, thanks for the education. Do you think we can now have CO2 free energy, with this alpha deal? Hopefully this won’t interfere with cosmic bagni or interfere with Al Gore’s carbon offset fraud, he’s making a ton selling to dupes. Maybe alpha can find OBL and assist Iran in their pursuit of nukes?
Alpha. Awesome. You are one brilliant dude.
35. js | July 3rd, 2008 at 5:28 pm
the only thing brilliant is that he can wipe his behind
bush doesnt have anything to do with awarding those contracts….they are awarded by the GAO…which is staffed by hundreds of honest american citizens…in order to prove any involvement by bush…you lemmings would have to document the contact….the conspiracy…the contract and its execution…and define exactly who did it, who was involved, and why it was done…
essentially, the guys over at the GAO maybe make 50k or 60k a year….and alot of them guys are career minded family men and women….so, if this goes down…and they get caught….they can flush everything down the toilet…retirement, family, heck, even the dog…because they spend several years in the pokey….for crimes that youlemming lib’s say they commited…
so get to it…but remember…until you can actually prove this all this conspiracy you purport happended….me and every employee at the GAo will fugure you as mental midgets and morons whose only relief from enduring thier own stupidity is to manufacture lies about Bush and his administration….
36. js | July 3rd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
and carl
the one thing you dont include in your short attempt at immortality is the fact that those boys using theories that you represent as fact really dont know for sure about the essence of all matter in existence….reality is that the big bang has no better than a 1 out of 1 million+ shot at being true, and the photons and nutrons and alpha whatever is nothing more than imagination….the half educated exploration of our universe is not and cannot be claimed to hold a position as imperical science
its only a half assed guess for crying out loud, and they dont even know for sure that they are right or wrong, folks on LSD can come up with just as good explanations as you put down here….
37. Ricorun | July 3rd, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Carl, are you by any chance related to Flash?
38. Ricorun | July 3rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Kahn: And FYI, the low dollar needs to be low. We had an insane trade deficit going. It was unsustainable. Now, our products are competitive again.
I’d say we still have an insane trade deficit. True, it dipped to about $700B in 2007 from $750B in 2006. But it’s estimated at $350B for the first 6 months of 2008, so it doesn’t appear to be rocketing downward — and nowhere near keeping pace with the dollar’s downward trend.
By the way, you alerted me to a YouTube clip of Harry Reid claiming that burning coal makes people sick. I’d say he’s right — coal does make people sick. The CDC and American Lung Assoc. agrees. The only thing good about coal is it’s cheap. At least for now.
In other news, Cape Wind has been cleared for permitting and construction. In the mean time wind power grew 27% in 2006 and another 45% in 2007, so though individual projects may run into opposition here and there, it doesn’t sound like the industry as a whole has been “stymied”. I think that was the word you used.
Also, BLM decided today to rescind its 2 year moratorium on solar thermal plants. That’s good news, don’t you think? So now the number one impediment to continued growth in renewable power is the investment tax credit extension. Obama is for it and always has been. McCain against it. What’s your opinion?
Interestingly, McCain is for billions of dollars in specific subsidies for nuclear power. Obama is for subsidies as well, but to a lesser extent. What’s your opinion?
And both McCain and Obama are against drilling in ANWR. I read the Coulter article you mentioned in another thread and I found her numbers both accurate and misleading. She claims it will allow us to drill our way out of our dilemma. Do you really think that’s “spot on”?
I suppose you could say it goes with the territory, but I find the level of disinformation surrounding the issue of energy very frustrating. And you don’t seem to be helping much. What I mean to say is, you’re a smart guy, so if you’re really in favor of alternative energy and energy efficiency, please try to become more informed and more realistic about the issues. If the issues are allowed to descend into simple partisan bomb-throwing we’ll never get anywhere.
39. neocon | July 3rd, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Carl,
Re: post 27, WOW. A new level of paranoid dementia. I am in awe.
You are by far my new favorite poster, surpassing Frederick. Unless, you’re one in the same. And that wouldn’t surprise me.
have a hellac day
peace, neocon
40. Carl Gordon | July 3rd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Deleted - off topic.
41. neocon | July 3rd, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Carl,
Just curious, have you ever received any training in sentence structure and punctuation?
And, has any peer or colleague ever complemented you on your articulation of thought?
Also why should I watch out for the man? It’s usually women I am leery of. LOL
Have a great holiday
peace, neocon
42. Carl Gordon | July 3rd, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Deleted - off topic.
43. FmrMarine | July 3rd, 2008 at 7:16 pm
cg
>>>I have been published under multiple monikers, as well as fired, er, involuntarily discharged from more than a couple newpapers/periodicals for unusual forment and inappropriate diatribes. I have been both praised and reviled>>>
Try larry flynts hustler, it sounds custom made for a person of your talent.
44. js | July 4th, 2008 at 12:04 am
so, is it fair to assume that you are both an alchoholic and a whore carl?
i had a step father like you…brilliant with a pen…problem was he couldnt control himself either…he spent the rest of his days contemplating right and wrong and bubba for molesting my little sisters….
tis a fine line between genius and insanity…please, dont define what is fine about it….
45. Mark Noonan | July 4th, 2008 at 2:02 am
french student,
Well, you see, only in the paranoid left is there anything to worry about in those rather run-of-the-mill war measures. But that is entirely besides the point - my point is that Rothschild holds the opinion that only a lovely nation should be loved - and that is just plain wrong.
46. What? | July 6th, 2008 at 2:43 am
SAR writes,
“Wouldn’t that be a true definition of a Patriotic in the Mark Twain sense? A Man who stands against the wrongs in his country that go against the ideals which his country was founded on.”
Ask Mark as he is now the expert on what Twain would say if he were alive today. Apparently, Twain would agree with Noonan that patriotism is not openly protesting your government.
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