It is the year 2009 and our once thriving example of capitalism is now looking quite mortal. People all over the nation are beginning to feel the slings and arrows of uncertain economic times. Many political analysts have considered the idea that our once great nation will eventually take a backseat to other economic powers on the rise such as China, India or the European Union. I must admit that I was one of the people who possessed that fear. I also must admit however, that whenever such fears reared their ugly heads there was also a sense of incongruity that gnawed at my subconscious. It was a little voice that whispered “why are you so worried about where this country stands in the world economy? After all, you have always been poor; therefore you really don’t factor in the grand scheme of things”. I guess I could blame this line of thinking on all of the speeches I read from revolutionary speakers such as John Henrik Clark, Louis Farrakhan and of course Malcolm X. One quote that comes to mind is from the latter. In his speech the message to grass roots, Malcolm X said:
“If the master said, "We got a good house here," the house Negro would say, "Yeah, we got a good house here." Whenever the master said "we," he said "we." That's how you can tell a house Negro. If the master's house caught on fire, the house Negro would fight harder to put the blaze out than the master would. If the master got sick, the house Negro would say, "What's the matter, boss, we sick?" We sick! He identified himself with his master more than his master identified with himself”.
During my college years when I became more aware of literature like the above example, I found myself struggling a great deal with the concept of patriotism for a country that historically has been so cruel to African Americans. Therefore, when I found myself during those years at games saluting the flag or rooting for the home team while watching the Olympics the question in the back of mind was always why? I suppose I reconcile this conundrum with good old fashioned hope which is ingrained in the minds of every American who has been educated in this country. It is a hope that is so powerful that even in the most horrible of conditions there are many of us who still believe that we can make it.
When college ended I was forced to do some soul searching. Many of the questions that plagued me concerning how I would define patriotism still haunt me today. But even now that I struggle with what it means to be a patriot, I do know that it exists. The little boy in me who recited the pledge of allegiance in grade school still lives. Thomas Friedman helped me to discover this when he said:
“No other country can substitute for the U.S.,” a senior Korean official remarked to me. “The U.S. is still No. 1 in military, No. 1 in economy, No. 1 in promoting human rights and No. 1 in idealism. Only the U.S. can lead the world. No other country can. China can’t. The E.U. is too divided, and Europe is militarily far behind the U.S. So it is only the United States ... We have never had a more unipolar world than we have today.”
After reading this quote my first reaction was relief which was immediately followed by embarrassment. Had I become so indoctrinated with the competitive nature that is so characteristic of America (especially in the last administration) that it did not matter whether or not we were actually going to get through this crisis? In that moment it seemed more pertinent to me that we were still running the show, no matter what the cost. The fact that the whole world is watching with baited breath as we face our greatest challenge of the decade should not be in any way comforting even if we still are considered “the greatest country in the world”.
I have since gotten over my embarrassment and my temporary chauvinism. I have decided to be the same hopeful citizen of this country that I was as a child. It is this same hope along with stern criticism that motivated Martin, Malcolm and of course Barack Obama. These individuals knew that even with the brutal history that this country possesses it still has the potential for greatness. It is not the kind of greatness that is measured by military strength or monetary might, but that which is measured by valuing all of its citizens for their talents which in the end will help us get through these tough times. It is these principles alone which point me in the direction of patriotism. I will be watching closely to see where we are headed. And I too will be hopeful.
3 comments:
Having love or devotion for one’s country is one thing. Having a zealous, imperialist attitude about your country is another. The French writer, Voltaire, said: “It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind”.
I HATED when Barack repeated the same stupid thing that right wing politicians kept on saying during the election: “America is the greatest country in the world!”
Say that to the millions of us who can’t get medical insurance.
Say that to those Black folks down in Mississippi, who live in trailers, and who still work in fields like their slave ancestors did.
Say that to those of us whose children attend underfunded schools, while the kids in the next neighborhood (who pay more property taxes) get to go to decent schools.
Say that to Katrina victims (Lord knows how much they wished they lived anywhere else but here!)
I think you can’t really have an honest perspective about your own country or understand it, until you see it at a distance. Having lived outside of the States for many years, I’ve seen first hand how a government really cares for its people. The very first time I had medical insurance was when I was in my 20s and living in a European country!
Basically, what I’m saying is that it is OK to love the only place you can call yours. It’s OK to love the country that helped formed your ideas and your personality and that shaped your memories; but I believe, it’s important to see America as perhaps a great country but not “the greatest country in the world”. We have to leave room for others to be great too, and maybe we will no longer be seen as this nation of overbearing paternalist.
Point well taken. The closest that I have come to seein this country at a distance is when I was an undergrad in college. The people who I surrounded myself with were all very critical of this country just as they are abroad. You also bring to mind a time when I was in the Netherlands right after 911. I remember being aproached by a woman in a bar who aproached me when she discovered that I was American and said "excuse me I don't mean to be rude but isn't there a part of you that believes that Americans brought this tragedy on your selves"? I must admit I did agree but I was also a little insulted because part of me felt like no one else had the right to criticize us in that fashion. It's kind of like the fan of a sports team who criticizes his team but gets offended when ever any one else does. In hindsight, her observations were enlightening because I was able to see first hand how this country is viewed all over the world. It is that kind of insight which keeps me from drifting to jingoist ways of thought.
I think your disgust for Obama's declaration that "America is the greatest country in the world," is grossly overstated. And for each of your statements highlighting some of the desparities in this country, I can point you towards a number of Americans who do in fact agree that this is the greatest nation, some of whom live in similar circumstances to those you mentioned. I for one do think America is the greatest nation in the world, and I am a huge critic of many of our policies. I think it is possible to share both sentiments. My love for this country is rooted, like cknight said, in not only who we are, but also the potential of our country. Do we have a plethora of issues, economic and social? Absolutely, but it is easier to point to those issues crippling our nation than it is to try and find a solution. Ultimately, this nation will be judged by it's people and not the political decisions made, and that's what's troubling when using the lens of other countries to judge our own.
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