Demonstration of Nationalism: Criminal Offense to Criticize Obama?

A teacher in a North Carolina high school tells students that questioning the president is criticism and that such criticism (or "disrespect") is a criminal offense.

Story here.

Ah, Nationalism at its finest.

Eritrea Unknown - 2,000 Christians behind bars

Cry Freedom Eritrea - CSW

Patriotism and Nationalism: Country and Government

I’ve noticed that amid all the political commentary and journalism that I read, both conservative and liberal, there is no genuine distinction made between Patriotism and Nationalism. While Nationalism seems to keep its bad reputation, it is far more prevalent than anyone seems willing to admit. There are Nationalists on the Right and Nationalists on the Left. The reason, perhaps, that Nationalism is hard to spot is because it often calls itself Patriotism. 

The best way I know to describe the difference between the two is to place them in a neighborhood. A Nationalist is like a conceited property owner. He believes he owns the biggest and best house in the subdivision and lets everyone know it. He is satisfied with his house only because he is convinced that it stands above the others. If his edifice were not the grandest, he would do everything in his power to make it the grandest, or at least appear so. He cares only for what wins him bragging rights.

A Patriot, on the other hand, is like a property owner with the smallest house on the street. He loves his house, but he is under no delusion that it is the best or biggest. Yet he loves it all the same. He loves it because it is his house. He bought it with his own money, he fixed it with his own hands, and filled it with his own family. Size and grandeur matter little to a Patriot. The mere fact of possession and privacy provides for him enough romance to supply a thousand novels. 

Because the Nationalist loves an empire and the Patriot loves a home, they are often in disagreement. Incidentally, many Nationalists are against the home, against privacy, and against the family. Those who are not against these are inconsistent thinkers, and in this case, are better for it. An empire has no room for a kitchen table, because a kitchen table creates an independent state loyal to mother first, and to motherland second. Empires hate winning second place.

Aside from its empire-lust, Nationalism is dangerous because it is a blind devotion, not to an ideal, cause, or dogma, but to a government, and this for glory and power. Blind supporters provide their idols with tremendous power, and tremendous power is always abused when it falls into human hands. Thus, Nationalists, despite their good intentions, fertilize the political field for tyranny. The 20th century saw Nationalism at work in Nazi Germany. The good people of Germany, after being humiliated at the close of World War I, were all too eager to elect a man who would restore Germany’s former glory. The empire Hitler built tickled Nationalist egos, but it was paid for by genocide and a second World War. 

Another reason we should be careful to distinguish between Nationalism and Patriotism is that it is easy to confuse Nationalism with Patriotism and Patriotism with betrayal. For instance, supporting a war is not necessarily patriotic, nor is opposing it necessarily unpatriotic. In fact, if I support a war merely because my country is in it, I am guilty of Nationalism. If, on the other hand, I support a war out of a genuine conviction that it is a just and necessary war, I act with Patriotism. 

As another example, we sometimes are told that supporting particular government policies is the patriotic thing to do. This is a clever way to discourage criticism of the government and to encourage Nationalism in all its blind naiveté. Often, a Patriot feels forced to criticize his government for the good of his country. 

Because the Patriot loves the country he possesses, his love for it drives him to seek its good. As a good man maintains his house, not primarily for his own sake, but for the sake of his family, so a Patriot seeks the good of his nation, not primarily for his own sake, but for the sake of his country. Patriotism is not merely dedication to one’s country, but to truth and goodness because love desires the best for others. 

Just like acting wickedly is harmful to one’s soul, countries and governments are harmed by doing evil. Thus, he is no Patriot who perverts justice for the sake of his country. Opposing evil and tyranny wherever it appears is the height of Patriotism. And it is the support of evil, knowingly or not, which is the betrayal, not only of one’s country, but of all men.