Election time is coming around again in the U.S., and I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify two very similar words: Patriotism and Nationalism.
Patriotism: Love of one’s country. Most people have heard this word, at the very least. Politicians use it to paint themselves in good light, and accusing their opponent of lacking it is a serious allegation.
Nationalism: The belief that one’s nation or country is superior to all others.
Unfortunately the distinction seems to have been lost to many. Patriotism does not mean blind devotion to one’s country, not does it mean believing one’s country is the best or most powerful. It simply means loving or caring about one’s country. It is nationalism that does not permit a country to have flaws or need correction. When people won’t admit that the U.S. is the greatest country on earth, they are not being bad patriots— they are being bad nationalists.
I fear that politicians and Americans are loosing the distinction between the two. Blind faith in the government or country is not what America needs right now. Parents who deny the obvious delinquency of their children would be considered irresponsible, but if a citizen denies his or her country’s capability to err it’s somehow patriotic. The U.S.A. doesn’t need nationalists, simply claiming America is the best is a good way to make sure it stops being that. America needs patriots who care enough to look prospectively.
