"Pretended Patriotism"
Original title for this writing exercise was “Of Consequences and Benefits”. While re-arranging words for this exercise, I switched to the preferred title concept: Pretended Patriotism. Explanation for the different title will be reviewed in greater detail later.
Actions always seem to result in advantages and disadvantages or costs and benefits. Unfortunately, the meaning of “cost” in contemporary America has become so adulterated that the original meaning has evolved to mean deferred price paid with credit. A less adulterated word than cost is consequences which implies eventual penalty not cushioned by partial payments; hence this writing exercise’s title “Of Consequences and Benefits”.
Consequences and benefits is a concept rarely used by most Americans since the 1960’s and non-consequential life styles of hippies. Doubt this observation, how many contemporary Americans live by slogans like: live for today, make love not war, if it feels good do it, and free love. One of the consequences of free love has been societal epidemics of divorces, births of bastard children, and sexually transmitted diseases. Guess free love has not been cheap or free. Future historians will record how the absence of consequences and benefits decisions among America’s general population contributed to crippling and destroying America’s Constitution Republic with decadent societal self destruction.
Another consequence of immature “baby boomers” never growing up that should no longer be tolerated by tyranny of political correctness is the pop culture belief that any symbolism or any actions are patriotic regardless of consequences. The only valid definition, and or standard for patriot or patriotism are “one who loves their country and zealously supports its authority and interests”. The authority in America’s case is United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Tolerating non-patriotic behavior as being patriotic or patriotism is either foolish or cowardly since both compromise the integrity of one’s principles. Consequences of respecting these cultural differences eventually threaten national security and Constitutional integrity.
Two contemporary real world examples of non-patriotic or un-American conduct include recent actions by University of Texas Brownsville and Brownsville, Texas. Both public sector entities have and continue to threaten America’s national security and tens of thousands of Americans personal security by using federal courts to sustain a porous southern border while preventing Homeland Security from erecting a fence to protect hundreds or thousands of Americans from murders, sexual tortures and rapes, kidnappings, extortions, robberies, injuries and deaths in traffic accidents by illegal immigrants; drug trafficking related crimes; terrorist attacks; potential health pandemics. The list of crimes and abuses these two public entities are guilty of being accessories too could be lengthened, but the point has been made.
Honestly, it does not matter if University Texas Brownsville and Brownsville, Texas are threatening national security for 1) greed for collateral retail profits from criminal activities resulting from porous border, 2) access to cheap wages from illegal workers, 3) more public sector career opportunities from larger taxpayer grants for more services for illegal immigrants, 4) pro Mexico agenda, 5)prejudices against non-Hispanic ethnic groups, or 6) just plain lack of education about security threats to America.
Real world consequences are the same regardless of motives or intentions of unpatriotic conduct. That holds true for private citizens, public employees, and appointed and elected public officials. Elected officials supporting unpatriotic conduct can be voted out of office. All citizens have the right to act as patriots or non-patriots; they just do not have any right to use federal tax dollars to carry out their personal agendas.
The best way to teach University of Texas Brownsville and Brownsville, Texas that public actions which threaten national security have consequences is to ban both entities from receiving any federal dollars except for law and fire services for five years. The same policy should be applied on a local basis to any other public entity which threatens America’s national security. Need a starter list there are many “amnesty” cities that deserve to be on the list.
Also possibly deserving to be on the list are those public sector entities trying to destroy America’s oil producers. Non-beneficiaries of destroying America’s oil producers include the following. 1) Americans national security; America will need domestic oil producers to survive and win its next major war. Fueling domestic manufacturing base works better with domestic fuel supply. 2) American consumers of oil based products. Think petroleum products are expensive now, let Middle East Empires, Venezuela, and Mexico form a cartel to destroy America. 3) American oil producers’ investors. 4) American employees directly and indirectly depending on petroleum based products and serves.
Perhaps the following excerpt from George Washington’s “Farewell Address” can better express my attempted message. “Harmony, liberal intercourse with all nations, are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest. But even our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand; neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; … constantly keeping in view , that it is folly in one nation to look for disinterested favors from another (nation); … There can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation … offering you my country men to guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism”
The definition of pretender is “one who gives a false appearance of being, possessing, or performing.” A pretender patriot is one who gives a false appearance of loving their country and zealously supporting its authority and interests. Ask yourself who are the pretender politicians currently in office or seeking office in 2008 election?
Getting older and often called “Marshall that senile old man” does have its advantages. One luxury is being able to spend time reading silent words by dead patriots like Hale, Paine, Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Travis, Houston, Lincoln, and T.R. Roosevelt. Silent words from dead patriots were and still are more entertaining, informative, and inspirational than blasphemous parroted noises from living pretender patriots.
