The New Patriotism

Townhall.com ^ | February 12, 2009 | Guy Benson

[Kaslin]

“It is worth considering the meaning of patriotism because the question of who is – or is not – a patriot all too often poisons our political debates, in ways that divide us rather than bring us together.”  -Barack Obama, June 30, 2008

            Throughout the Bush years, particularly in the wake of Iraq's liberation, liberals from coast to coast grew increasingly paranoid about patriotism.  Virtually anything conservatives said about anything could be twisted and perceived as a dig—subtle or overt—at any given liberal’s love of country.  Here are some illustrative examples of this phenomenon, circa 2004:

Conservative A: "I support the troops."

Liberal A: "Dissent is patriotic, chicken hawk."

Conservative B: "God Bless America."

Liberal B: "How dare you suggest that I don't want God to bless America!  For your information, I hope that he or she blesses America, and every other country for that matter."

Conservative C: "I'm flying American Airlines today."

Liberal C: "Stop questioning my patriotism!"

            Suffice it to say, they seemed a tad insecure about the whole thing.  Left-leaning pundits and talking heads continually insisted that Republicans, particularly those within the administration, reflexively tarred anyone who dared to deviate from the party line as a traitor.  In most cases, these accusations were figments of the Left's collective imagination.  Still, to liberals, it was very real and totally outrageous, so America was introduced to a new Golden Rule of politics: Questioning someone else's patriotism is strictly verboten in all circumstances. 

            A Congressman from Pennsylvania maliciously slanders US Marines by falsely accusing them of murder?  Don't bring up the P-word.  A former haughty-looking presidential candidate encourages young people to educate themselves, lest they get "stuck" in the military?  He won three purple hearts.  Bite your tongue.  A certain Democratic leader in the Senate prematurely declares an active US military mission "lost" for partisan gain?  He loves the troops!  He has many friends who are troops! 

The lesson, time and again, was that ascribing patriotism (or the lack thereof) based on someone's statements, positions, or actions was out of bounds.  To use patriotism as a political badge of honor was an unforgivable—even un-American!—tactic of the warmongering, bloodthirsty Bush/Cheney death machine.  In fact, perhaps the purest form of true patriotism, we were told, was the act if dissenting from the creeping fascism promulgated by the neo-con cabal at the helm of Amerikkka's government.

To the astonishment of no one, these once-sacred rules are suddenly vanishing now that the Left has taken power.  In fact, three of the most powerful Democrats in America have already gone to the patriotism well to help reinforce support for specific policy preferences.

While still a candidate, Vice President Joe Biden faced questions from an ABC News about his ticket's plan to hike taxes for "the rich."  The term "rich," incidentally, was defined at the time as households making $250,000 or more—though that figure crept steadily downward as the campaign wore on.  These rich Americans, Biden explained, could afford to fork over more of their earnings to Uncle Sam.  In fact they should be proud to do so: "It's time to be patriotic," he explained, flashing his patented painted-on grin.  (No movement from his forehead, of course).  Got that, "rich" folks?  You will surrender more of the money you work hard for, and you will do so merrily.  Out of patriotism.  Why, to even complain would be unacceptable—don't you love your country?  Considering this new standard he constructed, one wonders what the Vice President thinks of, say, his administration's current Treasury Secretary.  Never mind.  One ought not get bogged down with such distractions.

This past week, the President of the United States abandoned his June 2008 position by eagerly expanding the politicization of patriotism.  In his efforts to woo public support for his entirely pork-free, catastrophe-preventing, crucially-crucial stimulus package, Obama hoped to enlist some Republicans patsies to help create the mirage of bipartisanship.  He succeeded, winning over three whole Republicans out of the 219 in Congress.  For those keeping score at home, that's a .014 batting average for the post-partisan healer.  According to the New York Times, after the northeastern trio knuckled under, the president called each of them to "applaud them for their patriotism."  What a thrill it must have been.  After all, it's not every day that one gets the opportunity to condemn future generations to mind-bending piles of debt, all in the name of promoting a non-stimulatory "stimulus" plan that rewards Lefty interest groups and furthers the sweeping policy goals of the party that—technically—represents your opposition.

When the final deal was struck a few days later, Harry Reid echoed the president's kudos, albeit with his renowned cloying charmlessness:  "I’m really at a lack of words how to express my admiration and respect for the love of our country, the patriotism, and the courage of three brave senators," Reid said, "Specter from Pennsylvania, Snowe and Collins from Maine.  I don't think I need to say more than that."  No, he needn't.  There's a new patriotism in town.  This time around, 98 percent of Congressional Republicans failed to reach the patriotic plateau.  Not to worry, though.  They'll have three years and 42 more weeks, at least, to redeem themselves and display their genuine love for America by supporting the president and whatever emergency/apocalypse-averting policies he may have in store.&

[laotzu]

I have known Americans to spit on returning soldiers, urinate on & burn the American flag, vandalize national monuments, desecrate the graves of heros, and complain about how many Stars & Stripes car emblems they had to look at every day.

Without exception, it has always been a leftist doing these things; never a conservative.

Patriotism can be easily measured.

[ETL]

'Guilty as hell, free as a bird—America is a great country,' he [Ayers] said."
August 2001, Chicago Magazine (article: No Regrets)
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2001/No-Regrets/
__________________________________________________________

Exclusive: Bill Ayers Talks About Election Night in Grant Park
[Obama win brings commie Ayers to tears!]

From NBC Chicago, Jan 21, 2009:

Bill Ayers was "overflowing with happiness, relief, love" when he and his wife went to Grant Park with tens of thousands of Chicagoans to celebrate the election of President Barack Obama.

Ayers and his wife, Bernardine Dohrn, spoke exclusively with NBC Chicago's Dick Johnson about why they joined the Election Night celebration in the park, where 40 years before they helped stage the Days of Rage riots.

The couple said they got last-minute tickets from a friend to be in Grant Park that night.

"I couldn't stop crying a couple of times. I found the exact spot where I was beaten 40 years ago," Ayers said. "But I've never been in a crowd that large that wasn't edged with either anger or drunkenness or gluttony, and it was really an extraordinary feeling."

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Exclusive-Bill-Ayers-Talks-About-Election-Night-in-Grant-Park.html

[skeeter]

Liberals are charactertures of themselves. Clowns.

So are those who support them.

What reasonable person takes them seriously?

[BenLurkin]

There's nothing patriotic about expandindg the Federal Government even farther beyond its Constitutional limits.

There is everything patriotic in shrinking the Federal government back into its Constitutional limits.

[randog]

I have a buddy that hangs out with the Hollywood writer crowd in LA. I asked him to ask his lib buddies if dissent was still patriotic. He attends a roundtable discussion at a bookstore frequented by the writers and posed the question one night. He reports back that dissent is now unpatriotic. Sorry, but the Boy King knows what’s best for all of us, therefore dissent is now counterproductive to the country and hence unpatriotic.

Shoot the memo around to those that didn’t get it...

[JDoutrider]

It’s a cold day in hell when communism can be called “Patriotism”.

[Iron Munro]

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.

-- Mark Twain
.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Great article.

[dools007]

The problem liberals (aka socialists, communists or whatever) have is that anything that is done to protect the Constitution or in name of the Constitution is ipso facto the antithisis of what they believe. So, if they then complain that these things paint them as unpatriotic it is simply because they are.

If it walks................

[dforest]

Right now the libs are in control and ripping the US to shreads.

I take that seriously.

[muawiyah]

Darned shame Ayers is still around to remember when the people of Chicago rose up in righteous anger against him and his gang of murderous thugs.

Someone should have hit him harder.

[skeeter]

I was referring to leftwing rhetoric.

No one is more upset about what they are doing than I.

[dforest]

Sorry, I wasn’t insinuating that you didn’t care.

FRiends?

[ETL]

Obama's election victory wasn't the first time Ayers was brought to tears.

From American Thinker, September 16, 2008
Article: Obama's Foul Weather Friends
By Scott Swett and Roger Canfield

"As a gesture of solidarity, the Vietnamese who [Bernardine] Dohrn met in Budapest presented her with a ring made from an American aircraft shot down over North Vietnam. Bill Ayers would receive a similar ring while meeting with Vietnamese communists in Toronto. He later recalled being so moved by the gesture that he 'left the room to cry.' He said, 'I realized...America was an evil... and that I was... living inside the belly of the beast...' "

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/09/obamas_foul_weather_friends.html

[muawiyah]

Obviously this man never feels bad enough about things to commit suicide.

I think he should try harder.

[skeeter]

FRiends.

[dforest]

;^)