Wrapped in the Flag: The Perversion of Patriotism in MAGA America
My latest speech from the California State Capitol steps might be deemed heresy by the "Love or it leave it" crowd
I’ve become so cynical about patriotic symbols, partly because they signal virtue that might be vice, and partly because most of them are so damned cheesy. Cases in point:
American patriot rituals have always leaned heavily into caricature, and MAGA cult has turned things up to eleven. Google any Trump rally, and you’ll see thousands literally branded in the flag. Convinced (without evidence) that the USA is #TheGreatestCountryInTheWorld, these people get goose-bumped by any right-wing applause line and homeland anthem.
Their antics leave a sour taste in my mouth, the bile made even more bitter when I watch the weaponization of Freedumb to censor, mandate, threaten, and punish. The buttons, pins, bows, stickers, shirts, hats, tattoos, and flags have become members badges, with admission being no less than full submission to the stars and stripes.
American patriots are so often just shallow nationalists…uneducated about their past, uninformed about their present, and yearning for a tomorrow where the whites are richer and the walls are higher. They’re not merely waving their flags. They’re swinging the poles at our faces. And I’m kinda done with those people.
Here’s my speech on the subject. It’s part commentary, part history, and part prayer (if you’ll pardon the expression) for a saner, kinder future.
Seth
Something I've noticed recently is the number of folks who seem to be not just attached to the symbolism of the US flag, but that they also want to tie exceptionalism into the package as well. It seems almost like they're trying to claim ownership of exceptionalism for themselves, and I suspect that might well be why we're seeing some of the twisting of patriotism going around these days. Sure, there are (for now) still things that are wonderful about the United States, but trying to claim all exceptional qualities for one nation is foolish at best. It makes the patriotism look very shallow as well, since apparently some only love the US if it's some definition of exceptional.
Symbols are often used to hide, the US flag is no different. It's easy to look like a patriot when you're wrapped in a nation's flag and screaming at the top of your lungs. Actually being a patriot is hard work oftentimes at great personal cost; too often accolades don't come with that territory. By contrast, superficial patriotism is easy and usually done for dubious reasons involving various forms of manipulation, which is probably why we're seeing it so much these days.
Good luck to all of us, I think we'll need it.
"America – love it or leave it." It's funny, they hate it when you see it to them when there is a Democrat in power. It's ridiculous anyway. You can love it and still criticise it.
What is it with Americans and flags anyway – you can count on one hand the number of flags flying in my whole suburb. And most of them are patriotic Pasifika people.