Patriotism and Nationalism
Just came across this Sobran column from 2001.
Patriotism is relaxed. Nationalism is rigid. The patriot may loyally defend his country even when he knows it’s wrong; the nationalist has to insist that he defends his country not because it’s his, but because it’s right. As if he would have defended it even if he hadn’t been born to it! The nationalist talks as if he just “happens,” by sheer accident, to have been a native of the greatest country on earth — in contrast to, say, the pitiful Belgian or Brazilian.
Because the patriot and the nationalist often use the same words, they may not realize that they use those words in very different senses. The American patriot assumes that the nationalist loves this country with an affection like his own, failing to perceive that what the nationalist really loves is an abstraction — “national greatness,” or something like that. The American nationalist, on the other hand, is apt to be suspicious of the patriot, accusing him of insufficient zeal, or even “anti-Americanism.”
When it comes to war, the patriot realizes that the rest of the world can’t be turned into America, because his America is something specific and particular — the memories and traditions that can no more be transplanted than the mountains and the prairies. He seeks only contentment at home, and he is quick to compromise with an enemy. He wants his country to be just strong enough to defend itself.
But the nationalist, who identifies America with abstractions like freedom and democracy, may think it’s precisely America’s mission to spread those abstractions around the world — to impose them by force, if necessary. …
And then there’s this craziness…
October 31st, 2008 at 10:37 am
Loves me some Sobran! Thanks for finding that. I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed his commentary. I still miss Sam Francis, though.
As to the Gelernter book: I dare you to post the link and text of the description(s) at CD. #1, Dean May would appear prophetic, and #2, Bill and WAC would freak.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:14 pm
I must admit I haven’t read a whole lot of Sobran but I very much enjoy the little I’ve read..
and yeah, isn’t it weird that Gelernter’s “Americanism” is considered to be solidly in the mainstream of conservative thought? It seems to me the product of a deeply disordered mind.