Patriot Games

Living in a small, New England town, I’m bombarded with American flags. They’re everywhere, venerated by hippies and truckers alike. Liberals use Old Glory to attack Trump, but that’s a losing strategy. MAGA will always out flag the liberals.

So what’s the alternative? Beats me. I believe we’re in a downward spiral. I wrote about this 21 years ago. So here it is, back when I still gave a damn. More or less.

Fuck Patriotism.

What are we supposed to venerate -- corporate control of the economy and political process? Privatizing larger sections of public life? Assaults on civil liberties? A governing class that enriches itself while the rest of us scramble? An insane foreign policy that ensures hatred and violence for perhaps decades to come? A gang of criminals who lie us into war, commit torture, use chemical weapons, and try to abolish habeas corpus for “terror” suspects? We’re supposed to kneel before this set-up, bow our heads and thank God for our sweet blessings?

Fuck that.

Now, I’m as American as it gets. Born and raised in the Midwest, surrounded by Republicans and fed the same steady nationalist diet as everyone else. I was in the Cub Scouts and the Army. I played baseball and basketball. I went to church, and can riff for hours about American comedy from any period. Indeed, I’m semi-proof that in America, if you hustle effectively enough, you can rise above your humble roots (high school grad, C-average) and rub shoulders with the Smart Rich Celeb Crowd.

Of course, it was in that rarefied atmosphere where I saw the bullshit that fuels the Machine. New York lit parlors. Hollywood offices. DC political gatherings. In short, I’ve seen and experienced much of this country, at various levels. I couldn’t pass as a non-American no matter how hard I tried, and yet I feel no genuine connection to what presently passes for America.

Should I be sad? Maybe. After all, there’s much in American culture I do enjoy. I have a certain fondness for what’s left of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. But patriotic? Under these conditions? Not on your life.

Why liberals cling to patriotism sincerely stumps me. Do they honestly believe in such authoritarian concepts? Or are they trying to win over average folks by waving Old Glory as a political tactic?

Why not explain to those on the political fence, or better still, to those who grip the flag like a security blanket, what “patriotism” means in the present context. It’s not about flea markets, Little League games, canned food drives and fireworks ripping through the summer night sky. It’s about obedience to the state, keeping your mouth shut except to praise Dear Leader, fighting endless wars without any real debate, and generally allowing those with vast economic and political power to call the shots and profit from a fixed arrangement.

That’s modern American “patriotism.” That’s what we humble consumers are expected to happily swallow. And if we fail in our duty, then we are traitors and deserve the worst possible fate.

Not bad. Still tracks.