Happy July 4!

(Faux) Conservatives have claimed ownership of the term “patriotism” and the American flag. By shaping the debate they have made it virtually impossible for liberals and progressives to call themselves patriotic without being mocked. This is is especially odd as MAGA GOPers tend to oppose US interests abroad and the spread of democracy or republican values. This is why they are so tied up in knots about Ukraine- an emerging democracy that aspires to be like the US was prior to 2016 – They prefer the authoritarian model of places like Hungary, India, Turkey and Russia. And here in Florida, the GOP is dominated by pay-to-play crony capitalists and those who favor style over intellect.

In the 20th century, while Republicans avoided conflict and pushed isolationism and a degree of nativism, Democrats fought wars, protected and promoted liberty and spread freedom throughout the globe. Woodrow Wilson spread the principle of self determination and freedom throughout newly liberated countries despite domestic opposition form conservatives. Franklin Roosevelt armed the British and maneuvered the USA towards fighting the fascists in Europe and Asia despite conservative domestic opposition and some sympathy among those conservatives for Fascism and Nazism. Democrats passed countless domestic programs that ensured the health and welfare of those who fought for freedom despite conservative opposition. These programs were the most inclusive expressions of American unity and patriotic zeal in recent history. The New Deal, Fair Deal and Great Society are the most patriotic things ever done in the history of this nation.

Of course in the Neoliberal era, Democrats have become less progressive and more interested in “free market” solutions that benefit donor class elements. As Democrats lose their class consciousness and awareness (a process that has accelerated at a rapid pace since Barack Obama’s 2008 victory) . With the drift of the Democrats into being the party of elitism and the rich, unfortunately the sort of big thinking ideas and federal programs I favor to unite the country are increasingly off-the-table. So therefore we have to look deeper to reinvent progressive patriotism. Since the battle is now along the lines of cultural issues, let’s go there.

So from where I sit, it’s time to either stress what unites us as a people or simply retire the term American, because it really isn’t a substantive meaningful one – it’s just been a term like the bastardized “patriot” used to inflame political divisions and one with no ethnic meaning with the notable exceptions of Native Americans, whatsoever. The reality is that Americans are an invented people by and large (like many other people – most people say I am “Indian,” but what is an Indian? It was not an ethnicity, race, nation of people nor was it a distinguishable nation-state before the British decided to group a bunch of Colonial subjects that were darker than the British together within the boundaries of “India,” and many of those people now identity as Punjabi or Bengali or whatever. I don’t self-identify as “Indian-American” unless forced to by others, because what is an Indian? To me no such people exist ethnically.). Outside of perhaps Native Americans (American Indians) in reality there is no such thing as an American. No American ethnicity exists, as the United States of America is a nation-state that was drawn on political lines. So let’s build patriotism

The failure of Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery’s 1775 Quebec expedition as well as the 1812 Invasion of Canada, meant the USA (who claimed the term “American”) didn’t even unite English-speaking white people largely living in North America who could trace their lineage to the British Isles within its national boundaries. Short of some future annexation of Canada, the United States will never be a complete nation-state of white people in North America from the British Isles or Northern Europe. So let’s accept that. The American Revolution also had some *possible* anti-Catholic undertones which perhaps weren’t played prominently (note I said perhaps, because to me the evidence is mixed on this), but still probably served as a primary reason Quebec and Florida (as noted earlier this week on this site) choose at that time to stick with the British rule.  

The concept of an American or Americans as a distinct race of people came from the prose of Thomas Jefferson, a noted Francophile in the Declaration of Independence. Defining Americans as a “separate people” from Britain served to try and transform what was in all facets a civil war contested by British brothers into a conflict between different peoples. 

The myth somehow that arbitrary boundaries between the thirteen colonies and other British colonies in North America constituted a separate people was done expressly for political reasons. The settlers and those in power of those colonies were British in all but name, as they remained for sometime even after independence. As someone of “Indian” extraction, historically I find Jefferson’s notion that Americans were different than the British in 1776 almost as absurd as the claims by Muslim League that Indian Muslims were somehow a distinct people from Indian Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Christians in 1947, leading to the formation of Pakistan. As I noted above Indians don’t really exist but if they did exist how could Indian Muslims who were Bengali be different than Indian Hindus who were Bengali?

Both were created narratives for political purposes, justifying the dividing and separation of a people. Jefferson, whom I admire for what it is worth flaws and all (one of the few historical figures in American history I do admire, for the record)knew what he was doing, and why he was doing it. The goal was to create a context of those fighting for independence being a different people or race than the British when in fact they were not. They were British. So were the people we now term as “Canadians,” at least when it comes to those of British Isles origin.

Being an “American” is more a state of mind than anything or statement of personal identity than anything else – Few if any reading these pages (unless you are Native American) can claim to be an “American,” though the spirit of Americanism is something that has been very real as myth making and the concepts around being an American. 

In the era of nation-states which began roughly with the formation of the United States, a revolution whose political impact is underplayed to this day by European-based historians, the movements and thoughts that originated from this continent changed global thought. But they weren’t distinctly “American” thoughts at all – they represented the best of English and other western liberal and enlightenment thought but finally put into practice in a new nation-state. 

The myth of American Exceptionalism has been created to keep the fiction going about a unique people with a special place in global society. But the reality is Americanism is an idea, a myth, a thought, nothing tangible or real. This is why its definition is ever evolving and subject to constant manipulation by politicians particularly on the right. But as a people we like these little lies, these fictions, these myths, so we let the politicians on both sides define what an American is, whether it is a narrow definition pushed by conservatives or a broad definition pushed by the left- both are in fact not only vague but in a true sense, wrong. That allows those claiming “patriotism” to define the rest of us.

“American” as a term to describe people is political or cultural nomenclature which has a melting pot of different people’s, whose ideas and innovations have transformed human society for the better. The United States is a nation whose own history is lamentable and tragic, but we can never forget that for a few short years in the 1940’s, the USA helped saved the human race from likely destruction. From World War II came whatever true identity the American people have, but as that greatest generation passes on handing the torch to the baby boomers and Gen X, the nation has no meaning, no sense of joint purpose- it is in fact more a divisive term than anything.

Americanism has always been a rough thought, but at times a beautiful one. However, today it is becoming a more dangerous term, used to justify all sorts of selfish actions that endanger others and promote a denial of facts and reality. The events of January 6 were the final straw in demonstrating how the term is now a dangerous trigger to even inspire coups and insurrection by those moved to cognitive dissonance or even violence by the use of the term “American” or implications or “real” Americans as a theme.

The fights between 2020 and 2023 over mask-wearing and COVID-19 were a potential moment of unity, where the generations now leading could have demonstrated a joint purpose, and vision to lead the planet through its greatest crisis since World War II. Instead, we saw the fraying of the nation-state that is the USA along strictly ideological lines and a growing reverence on the right for selfish individualism and cognitive dissonance, traits that fuels and a denial of hard cold facts. Our own Governor Ron DeSantis was a leader in creating these divisions which pitted neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, colleague against colleague and Floridian against Floridian.

This is why progressives and liberals need to stress community and common purposes to reclaim patriotism.

The United States is a nation-state that occupies a large swath of land on the North American continent, and has been an indisputable force in moving forward human progress and making an impact both positively and negatively (a reality we have not touched on in this article, but one that still rears its ugly head in Latin American on a regular basis) on global history. But does being an American mean anything beyond residing on a portion of the North American continent? Given the current state of political and ethnic polarization within the United States, it’s hard to make a case for unity in purpose, spirit or thought.

But making that case for unity in purpose is how we unite this land and reclaim patriotism.

What is the American idea, and what is Americanism if anything? It’s a question we should continue to ponder going forward. In the meantime progressives and liberals NEED to reclaim patriotism and we do this by having an inclusive community-based approach to problems.