Le Sequoit

Tough Love

Patriotism is the subject today, or more universally, nationalism. This has been on my mind particularly since the tsunami disaster and the various actions and reactions concerning levels of aid by this country and that country.

It was on my mind during the last post, though the point I was after was more about the misconception Americans have of how generous we are in general than it was about the tsunami aid. It may seem that I carp on American attitudes and naivete too much. Righties would be quick to dismiss me as another "Bourdeaux drinking American hater", an "elitist" or Spiro Agnew's "effete intellectual snob". Always with the cute labels, these people (because it works). So I agree with some "wimpy" Norweigen that Americans are stingy--hell I would, wouldn't I? What else would a "bleeding heart" say?

But then on Jan. 2 this appears in the reader feedback section of the English version of Deutsche Welle, a source I recommend for reading the everyday opinions of others in the world.

Though it can be fair enough to criticize the government and citizens of my United States for hard headedness and that our relief can be at times proportioned too strongly along lines drawn by political agenda, there is no question who will contribute most greatly to this relief effort. Can it be enough? Impossible. The suffering is monumental, the road is long and there was not enough sustenance in much of this region before this disaster. Nevertheless we will try, and the people of the Indian Ocean rim will learn what Berliners learned in 1948: that Americans will drop everything and come running when needed, even to a place in which we might otherwise be personae non grata.

And who submitted this honest but prideful bit? Yep, ol' "socialist", "subversive", "soft on terrorism" me.

I have enjoyed America from Bar Harbor to La Jolla, from Copper Harbor to Key West. I know that there are few places in the world better to have grown up in than the American Midwest. I love and will defend America and Americans. But underlying this love for American humanity is..well...love for humanity.

Being human is more elemental and therefore a condition more suited to the acquisition of valueable knowledge than that of being American. Nationalism is at best a defender of liberties and at worst the instrument of evil, but in any case it's an obstacle to the truth and a sign that much progress is yet to be made.

I will defend America, but at the same time promote a world where this is not necessary. When we acquire a truth we say, "Ah, so simple!" It's about that.

posted by sequoit @ 10:58 AM