Is the patriot a dying breed?

Dictionary.com defines a patriot as:

pa·tri·ot –noun
1. a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.
2. a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.

Point 2 struck me like a brick to the face. I think we would all agree that most people who call themselves patriots don’t really know what it means to be a patriot.

“It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind.”
-Votaire

“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.”
-Edward Abbey

“In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, Brave, Hated, and Scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, For then it costs nothing to be a Patriot.”

“The government is merely a servant -- merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.”
-Mark Twain

[more quotes]



Although patriotism is presently used in certain vernaculars as a synonym for nationalism, nationalism is not considered an inherent part of patriotism. Among the ancient Greeks, patriotism is comprised of notions concerning language, religious traditions, ethics, law and devotion to the common good, rather than pure identification with a nation-state.
Patriotism does not require one to agree with everything that his country does and would actually promote analytical questioning in a quest to make the country the best it possibly can be.
Socrates was a true patriot, scrutinizing the powers as they went to war. Socrates was executed for his patriotism.

Today, true patriots are thin on the ground, as is the nature of patriotism. IMHO, Ron Paul proved himself a patriot when he said “-but you can’t enforce our goodness, like the neo-cons preach, with an armed force, it doesn’t work. Woodrow Wilson was telling us that in promoting democracy a long time ago. It doesn’t work and we have to admit it.”

When I heard that, I begun to think: If a person in a position power can’t make an admission to being wrong and, out of pride, continues to pretend that they are right, then that person does not deserve that power. It’s better to have someone who does make mistakes in power than someone who does not make mistakes because everybody makes mistakes but not everyone can humbly admit it.

Somebody once said that no matter how much you love that pickup, you have to identify the flat tyre.

I’m not peddling Ron Paul here but rather, the distinction between patriotism and national pride.


Who are the modern patriots?




[edit on 9/10/2008 by Good Wolf]

The way I think of it is: a true patriot tries to make his country better.

A false "patriot" tries to claim his country is right no matter how wrong its actions are.

Many seem to confuse patriotism for nationalism!

You want to protect your country and do what's best for your country, because you love your country!

Does that equate to themeing your house and wardrobe with red, white, and blue? Joining the military. Believing everything your Government tells you, and never questioning? It seems a lot of people don't think you're being patriotic if you don't fit this ideal image of what a "patriot" should look like!

Let's look at this definition:

1. a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.

I feel I am being patriotic whenever I log on to ATS and read about the ways large corporations and Government is corrupted. In fact, I feel very patriotic. Why? Because I am trying to equip myself with the knowledge I need to combat corruption for the betterment of the Countrymen I love.

[edit on 10-9-2008 by Lucid Lunacy]

There was a third definition but it was just a piece of military hardware. so i didn't keep it in

i think patriotism is dead regarding the leaders of countrys.
but as for the general populace...there will always be civilians who love their country.

I think (at long last) true patriotism is on the rise. This is because people remain both fond of their country, and at the same time ever more mindful of the potential for evil possessed by our government.

so, how many of you know sacrifice?

Patriots willingly sacrifice for their country.

How can a person call themselves patriots without forfeiting personal comfort and safety for the betterment of his nations?

If you want to defend freedom often you must give it up to your mission. People who claim to be patriots because they exercise their freedom of speech are wrong. You are spending the freedom that others have purchased with blood sweat and tears. You think this is cliche, but for those that have given all that has been asked of them by others it still means something.

A true patriot is the soldier that refuses to comment on the politics of the nation he defends... We lose our freedom if the military takes sides.

A patriot is the soldier that dies in a far off place so that people can question his motives without having to worry about being arrested for dissenting from the government.


Are Patriots still alive? Yes, they sacrifice every day for people out there to ask stupid questions like this one.

Next time you see a teacher, police officer, or soldier ask them why they volunteered a harsh life of little praise over the thousands of others. You will be surprised how many Patriots still live.

A patriot is someone who is willing to sacrifice something of himself in defense of his nation.

Anyone who puts himself before his country cannot be called a patriot.