Michael Moore: American exceptionalism is the death of us

[elzenmahn]

8. I would submit...

...that the way America currently defines "patriotism" isn't really patriotism at all, but belligerent nationalism.

When people are whipped into a "U-S-A! U-S-A!" chant, wear the flag as a shirt, dress, or bandana, and give speeches that touch on all of the emotional hot-buttons of the culture without acknowledging the TRUTH of American life, that's not "patriotism".

True patriotism requires a vision of a better nation, and the courage to act on that vision knowing of the potential consequences. Personally, I believe that the actions of the Occupy protesters, the Black Lives Matter protesters, Chris Hedges, Naomi Klein, and others that are too numerous to mention here, can be considered patriotic. Those on the other end of the political spectrum will inevitably lists others as "patriots". Where we need to be careful, however, is in how politically and socially loaded the word "patriot" is, and how it's used to benefit one side or the other. The word is very useful to propagandists.