Patriotism and Leftists

I don't use the word "patriotism", or talk about "lack of patriotism".  That is because the word has no real, objective meaning.  It is the same as "prudish" or "Victorian".  When I was 18 (yes, I was never really young), I had a letter published in a science fiction magazine talking about how meanigless the terms "Victorian" and "prude" are.   A person who uses words like that is only saying:  "In my opinion, you have an overly restrictive view of sex."  They are words with only a SUBJECTIVE meaning.  Similarly, saying "I am more patriotic than you" is merely a matter of subjective opinion, and does not advance an argument.

What is ironic is how Democrats of a leftist kind have cynically tried to turn this around.  Since there is no objective meaning of "patriotism", they regularly suggest that that attacks on their attitude toward this country are slurs on their "patriotism", even though the word "patriotism" is never used.  In other words, they set up a straw man to knock donw--counting on the correct view that "partriotism" has no objective meaning.  This, of course, begs the question of whether leftists are being ACCURATELY accused of haveing the Reverend Wrioght world view that America is the main source of evil in the world.

I am talking directly about "patriotism" in this entry because I again made the mistake of turning on the radio last night as I was preparing for bed (after I vowed--for good reason--not to do that anymore.  Well, I got rightly punished for breaking a vow.  Alan Colmes was on the radio spinning "patriotism" in the reverse twist, leftist way described abouve.  However, what prompts this entry is that he attempted a DEFINTIION of "patriotism".  It went something like this (I promise you that I am accurately catching the essence, although this is not a direct quote):

"Defined correctly, patriotism is standing up for what you believe to be best for the people of this cuntry, even if it conflicts with "conventional wisdom."

Yes, defined this way, "patriotism" does not even have a subjective meaning.  It has no meaning at all.  How can ANYONE possibly be "unpatriotic", under this definition, even if you are an American member of al-Qaida?  It is like the leftist perversion of "family values".  If ALL "familly groups", inclulding communes, have a right to their own "family values", then the term has no meaning (the leftist objective in redefining the term in the first place).

Was Benedict Arnold a patriot?  Under the definition of Alan Colmes, he might well have been.  He might well have thought that the American people would be better off under British rule.  Now the motives of Benedict Arnold were pretty complex.  You might say that Colmes' definition still leaves a sliver of meaning left in that people who sell out their country for SELF INTEREST might still be regarded as "unpatriotic". 

Note that most of the most dangerous enemies of this country do NOT sell out for "30 pieces of silver" (to quote James Carvelle on Bill Richardson).   American members of al-Qaida are not usually doing it for money.  The Rosenberg's (especially the husband) were willing to risk the destruction of the human race by stealing the "secret" of the atomic bomb for the Soviet Union (and that madman, Joseph Stalin).  Alger Hiss has been proven, by KGB files, to be an agent of the Soviet Union.  These were LEFTISTS,  in the post World War II ear, who BELIEVED in Communism.  There were many others.  There were even more who supported Rosenberg and Alger Hiss.  Were these people "patriots".  From the Alan Colmes pint of view they certainly were.  From an objective point of view, they were committing TREASON (a word with objective meaning) against this country, or were duped into supporting people who had committed treason. 

If you call the people killing American soldiers in Iraq "freedom fighters" fighting an illegal occupation, are you "patriotic"?  Who cares.  You are coming down on the side of the enemy (on the side of TERRORISTS, by the way, which makes you stupid in the extent you will go to oppose our intervention in Iraq).

Similarly, look at Jane Fonda.  She went to North Vietnam and PRAISED those killing American soldiers.  She put herself sqarely on the side of the enemy, and against the soldiers of her own country.  According to Alan Colmes' definition, that was "patriotic"--which merely means that Colmes has stolen all conceivable meaning from the word.  

I have come around to the view that we should never have committed substantial numbers of troops to try to save an overly corrupt government in South Vietnam (contrary to Iraq, where the invasion was to REMOVE a minor league Adolf Hitler).  Nevertheless, I never made the mistake, and do not now, of considering the North Vietnamese as the GOOD GUYS.  They were not.  Nor were we the "bad guys".  In fact, our purpose in South Vietnam was a noble one.   It was just a mistake as to what was practical. 

Was the Symbionese Liberation ARmy composed of "patriots"?  These are the people who kindanpped Patty Hearst and KILLED people (recently in the news because that housewife former SLA member was mistakenly realeased from prison too early)..  By the definition of Alan Colmes, they were certainly patriots.  In their own view, they were trying to "save" this country.   What about the Weather Underground (which engaged in bombings against military related targets--an Obama friend, William Ayers, having been an admitted bomber with the Weather Underground against the Vietnwm war, although he never went to jail for it).   Again, according to Alan Colmes (and many other leftists at the time), this type of violence was "patriotism". 

If you want to debase the word "patriotism" to the extent that leftists do, even considering the subjective meaning of the term in the first place, then you have merely made the word totally useless.  It does not change things:  Going to North Vietnam to oppose our own soldiers, and support the enemy, is WRONG (whether you consider it "patriotic" or not).  Tryin to EVICE our own military from your city (Berekeley, Californisa did this one recently) is WRONG, whether or not you consider it "patriotic".  Weather Underground bombing was WRONG.  And so on.

You won't see me backing down from leftists on this simply because they accuse me of "attacking their patriotism".  I attack their CONDUCT, and their ATTITUDE toward this country.  Put whatever label on it you like.