My Country, Right Or Wrong?

Over the last 30 years politicians of all stripes, particularly those who have broad yellow ones on their backs, have taken the word “patriotism” and its attendant symbols and have turned inspirational words and vibrant red, white, and blue colors into dull gray mush.

G.K. Chesterton, a wordy English essayist of some wit, once wrote: “My country, right or wrong, is a thing that no true patriot would think of saying…It’s like saying: “My mother, drunk or sober.”

When Lurch’s Big Daddy George H.W. was running for president in 1988, he not only wrapped himself in any flag that was close, he even visited an American flag company, since put out of business by the Chinese, for a big photo op.

The dictionary defines a patriot as “a person who loves, supports, and defends his country.” That definition certainly fits George Sr. He joined the U.S. Navy when he was 18, flew dive bomber missions against the Japanese in the Pacific, was shot down and parachuted into the ocean. He was rescued by a submarine to fight another day.

But son Lurch is another story. A George Bernard Shaw quote describes why the hero from Crawford chose to defend the Rio Grande instead of the Mekong River from the Viet Cong advance: “Power does not corrupt men: fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.”

Lurch had Big Daddy get him a sexy soft spot in the Champagne Flight of the Texas Air National Guard during Vietnam because he knew the members of the Dallas Cowboys football team and the sons of rich Texans would never be called to actually face bullets for their country. Lurch’s Lost Weekend turned into a lost year. Just where was Lurch when he went AWOL? Some day we will learn that Dan Rather had it right after all.

I saw true patriots in World War II. People collected metal and rubber for the war effort while suffering through the strict rationing of gas, food, sugar, tires, and other necessities. Now Vice-President Dick Cheney, who always let others do his fighting, should wear a yellow ribbon with four dandelion clusters instead of a lapel flag pin to indicate he asked for five deferments during Vietnam because he had “better things to do.”

Pledging Allegiance And Wearing Flag Lapel Pins

The recent flap about sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton and the fact that Barack Obama didn’t wear a flag lapel pin (made in China by slave-prisoners) on certain days indicates how the politicians have ruined “patriotism” for everybody. The Republican uniform of the dark blue suit decorated with the flag lapel pin—with thousands of American flags made in China smothering the background in Reichstag fashion—has made patriotism a travesty. The Democrats have even run over this ridiculous “patriotic” cliff like lemmings, carrying lapel pins and flags into the gray mushy whirlpool of overkill.

A recent Gallup Poll on patriotism prompted these Washington Post Web comments from cynical disgusted citizens:
“I am so patriotic I wear a wig and tights around the house. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.” (An obvious reference to George and the cherry tree.)

“I’m so patriotic that I’m not voting to express my opposition to the Patriot Act.”

“I’m so patriotic my sexual fantasies all involve George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.”

“I am so bloody patriotic I have been removing “Made In China” tags from all my American flags.”

“I’m so patriotic, I ritually burn English muffins.”

“Patriotism is my first refuge. Oh, wait…that’s how much of a scoundrel I am.” (A reference to Samuel Johnson’s famous quote in his dictionary: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”)

Why Do Southerners Think Flag Lapel Pins Measure Patriotism?

That Gallup Poll revealed that Americans believe that patriotism is represented by the following actions: (1) Voting, 95%; (2) Serving in the U.S. military, 87%; (3) Supporting our policies around the world, 82%; (4) Saying the Pledge of Allegiance, 77%; (5) Wearing an American flag lapel pin, 59%.

If I remember, only slightly over 50% of eligible voters voted in the 2004 presidential election. But 95% said voting was a patriotic action. Does this mean that 49.9% of American voters are unpatriotic?

I see 87% believe that serving in the miltary is a patriotic action. Does this mean that Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Condi Rice, Douglas Feith, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Norm Coleman are really scoundrels?

The last survey I saw indicated that over 80% of the people felt the U.S. was moving in the wrong direction. Are all of these people unpatriotic?

For some reason Southerners seem to really like flag lapel pins, particularly those rednecks over 50 who have only a high school education. Could it be they have carried their flag fixations over from the Confederate flag to the American flag?
I thought it was interesting that when formal duels were fought in this country, the South’s upper classes, who often saw themselves either above the law or the law itself because of the way they treated their slaves, led the way. They would duel at the slap of a glove or muttered expletive. Through dueling they governed their inferiors. What role intelligence played in dueling was probably outlined by this statement from a South Carolina general who was seriously wounded in a duel in his youth: “Well, I never did clearly understand what it was about, but you know it was a time when all gentlemen fought.” This sounds as logical as wearing a flap lapel pin while flying to the Cayman Islands to set up your offshore corporation to avoid paying U.S. taxes.

Clinton Administration, 22 Million Jobs In Eight Years; Bush, Five Million In Eight

While our politicians accuse each other of patriotic deprivation, just about every aspect of our economy is going in the tank. As Bob Herbert of the New York Times writes: “Patriotism has its place. But waving a flag is never a good substitute for serious thought and rolling up one’s sleeves.”

According to the experts our banks will need another $65 billion to cover more losses in the subprime mortgage disaster brought on by political cowardice.

Since Lurch took office our national savings have gone from 6 percent of gross domestic product to 1 percent. During Lurch’s reign consumer debt has risen from $8 trillion to $14 trillion. Rome, here we come.

This week the stock market value of General Motors slid to $5.9 billion and its stock shares were at a 34-year low. Toyota, the little Japanese company that could, was valued at $162.6 billion.

We have had over 4,100 troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, 300,000 suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and an additional 320,000 exposed to traumatic brain injury.

While politicians are passing laws requiring flags sold in this country be made in the U.S.A., Wall Street “patriotic” speculators trade over 20 times more oil than is actually delivered each day—for as little as 5 percent down. So as the big hedge fund boys play Monopoly to see who among their billionaire playboys will win the Wall Street craps game, ordinary workers can’t afford $4.00 gas to go to their jobs.

Lurch will leave office with a possible net gain of five million new jobs which does not even provide replacements needed for an increasing population. The Clinton administration provided 22 million new jobs in the same period of time.

While politicians admire each other’s pins and flags, Medicare is forced to buy hospital beds for $1,825 that are available online for $754 and $4,023 for power wheelchairs that sell for $2,174 online. That’s because politicians are in the pockets of lobbyists and they refuse to pass laws which would require Medicare to take the lowest bid.

A letter in USA Today on July 6 reminds us how politicians try to use patriotism to hornswoggle people. Neil Thex of Mesa, Arizona wrote: “Patriotism is a slippery thing in the hands of the Republicans. During the Watergate hearings, columnist Art Buchwald remarked about how nicely the Nixon men were dressed. They all wore American flag pins in their lapels as they perjured themselves before the grand jury.”

And Walt Handelsman nailed the subject of patriotism in this cartoon:

1. Obama to McCain: “I’m wearing a flag pin.”

2. McCain to Obama: “I’m wearing a flag pin and saluting.”

3. Obama to McCain: “I’m wearing a flag pin, saluting, and whistling Yankee Doodle.”

4. McCain to Obama: “I’m wearing a flag pin, saluting, whistling Yankee Doodle and eating apple pie.”

5. Worker to himself: “I’m worrying about the economy.”