But they failed utterly in their goal of destroying the spirit of this country.
Unlike most traditional forms of patriotism, ours does not center directly on the land; the “spacious skies” and “amber waves of grain” are more about the idea of unlimited possibility and material bounty than the particular locations so sacred in other societies. The tremendous mobility of Americans also renders a sense of place–even places as important as New York and Washington–a lesser theme. And it hardly needs to be said that unlike Germany (the “fatherland”) or Russia (the “motherland”), the United States lacks a common ethnic heritage.
As the French journalist Alexis de Tocqueville noticed when he visited the young republic 170 years ago, American patriotism is more rational–more based on interests–and less emotional than older varieties of patriotism. Tocqueville observed that though “less ardent” and less visible than that of other nations, ours was a more durable faith.
The substance of that faith is democratic aspiration. This is usually translated as “freedom.” But freedom–like union and community–is a condition, a means to an end. Freedom to do what?
For many years, we haven’t had a patriotic answer. Aspiration was mostly directed at private ends. And without a unifying threat, much of the baby-boom generation came to view the world in shades of gray, not black and white.
Their children have felt even more disconnected from public life, though they built their own small-“d” democracy through increased community service–a deeply patriotic activity, even if rarely defined as such. By the late 1990s, patriotic action seemed almost quaint. We longed for it, as suggested by the reverence for “the Greatest Generation,” but couldn’t quite envision being called to serve.
Then came Sept. 11. But even now the purpose of patriotism remains elusive. On today’s “asymmetrical battlefield,” how can we help? Offering assistance to the families of the victims is obviously important. So is joining the armed forces, the intelligence services or the FBI. Perhaps the most patriotic act an idealist could undertake today is to learn Arabic, so we can better understand the terrorists. Facing a severe shortage, the government has put out a call for anyone who knows that language.
Beyond that, it’s time to think a little more broadly about what a selfless commitment to country might mean nowadays. A few modest suggestions:
Be brave. It sounds self-evident, but the aim of terrorists is to terrorize, so if we want to defeat them, we can’t be afraid. That means going about our normal routines, including air travel. Caution is always in order, but fear is an unpatriotic emotion.
Be bullish. You don’t have to buy stocks now, but if you are below retirement age and employed, it’s not helpful to cash in your investment portfolio. Fighting terrorism requires a strong economy, and the economy can’t recover if everyone bails out. Just put those financial statements in a drawer and don’t look at them for a year.
And to feel a little better, go to the mall. Pumping money into the economy may not be good for your soul, but it’s good for the country. Patriotism requires optimism, at least in long run.
Be patient. This is President Bush’s primary request of the American people. The uncomfortable truth is that we are facing the prospect of endless, episodic war. Even when it seems to be over, when the terrorist networks have been crippled and we’ve experienced an interlude of peace, the struggle will not be won. The terrorist will play a long game, and so must we. In an “I Want My MTV” culture, this won’t be easy.
Be vigilant. We are a famously open society and must stay one or risk losing what we’re defending in the first place. Harassment of Arab-Americans is wrong and should be repeatedly condemned. But as Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson said, “The Constitution is not a suicide pact.” Ethnic profiling, for instance, is making a comeback. And noncitizens don’t enjoy all of the same rights as those who have become Americans. Citizens need to get back into the habit of reporting suspicious activities to the authorities. Security will be tightened at airports, on highways and in many other places. This can be annoying. Real patriots don’t whine.
Be educated. The way to avoid unpatriotically targeting the wrong people is to learn something about the rest of the world. Just as the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of Sputnik, the first satellite, shocked the United States into funding math and science education, so this calamity should force a fundamental rethinking of what we teach. Right now, few states require any knowledge of international relations. In a complex world, patriotism and jingoism–once nearly indistinguishable–must be decoupled for good.
Be independent. But sometimes we might have to act on our own. The best way to achieve the latitude we need internationally is to establish energy independence. That means, as Michigan Gov. John Engler says, a 10-year goal of converting all cars from the internal-combustion engine to fuel cells, creating what he calls a “hydrogen economy.” In the meantime, buying a fuel-efficient car has become a patriotic act.
Be supportive. This is the classic definition of patriotism in wartime–to support the government in its war aims. Dissenters have the right to criticize the war on terrorism. They can examine the motivations of the terrorists, and the conditions that may have influenced their behavior. But it’s a short step from there to rationalizing terrorism. Appeasing evil–by shifting the blame to U.S. policies or Israel or anything other than the evil itself–is dangerous.
Be critical. It’s possible to be supportive and critical simultaneously. In fact, it’s essential to the national interest. Harry Truman was just an obscure senator from Missouri until he held hearings during World War II about abuses in the war-production effort. Government must be held accountable in order to do its best. If you believe that a particular strategy or tactic will hurt the war on terrorism in the long run, it is your patriotic obligation to point it out. “Vietnam was a watershed for this,” says Sen. John McCain. “It’s legitimate to criticize the conduct of the government. In fact, the argument has been made that without it, our losses would have been greater.”
Be constructive. But as McCain points out, such criticism should be made in a generous and constructive spirit. Terrorists must be outwitted, which means creative thinking, two or three moves ahead. Patriotism is inconsistent with cynicism and fatalism.
Be tolerant. In a misguided attempt to be patriotic, several sponsors and TV stations recently yanked support for ABC’s “Politically Incorrect.” Host Bill Maher and two of his guests agreed that the suicide bombers were a lot of things but they weren’t cowards, as the president suggested. They argued that the American policy of lobbing cruise missiles into the desert from 2,000 miles away and bombing Kosovo from high altitudes was more cowardly. This was an obnoxious thing to say, but it was not out of bounds. Letting terrorists prevent us from hearing politically incorrect ideas just gives them another victory in their war against democracy.
Be clear. Patriotism is sometimes accused of oversimplification, but at its best it has a moral clarity. Beware critics who use the formulation “… then we’re just as bad as the terrorists.” Not all military operations are equivalent. Intentionality is critical. Terrorists kill innocent civilians intentionally. Civilized governments kill innocent civilians unintentionally. If the innocent-civilian body count of those killed by antiterrorists gets too high, that moral equation can change. But the presumption must always be against the terrorists.
Finally, in all American wars, there’s a natural tension between victory and the Bill of Rights. The trick is to achieve the first without sacrificing the second. This takes not just political skill, but deep faith in the idea of America. Some might even call that patriotism.
