Reply #6: I was wondering along similar lines the other day. [View All]

Why is American "patriotism" regularly and primarily focused on the military aspects and iconography of "fighting for freedom," rather than also giving equal mainstream importance to the "democracy" part of it -- the struggle for values and ideals, equality and knowledge, self-governance and liberation from royal whims -- fought by the free-thinking Founding Fathers and other like-minded people through the years, the sum of whose contributions can easily be regarded as far more crucial to the creation and character of our country than was the lifting of arms?

Think about that for a moment. So-called revolutionary armies around the world have fought with bullets and bombs against oppressions real and perceived, and in many cases they only succeeded in ushering in a much worse government or society than what they had before. So clearly, it's not the physical fighting force that's important to shaping a democracy; rather, it's the great minds behind those soldiers who make the country what it is. The military might be considered the wrecking ball, clearing the way and keeping it clear, but the thinkers and statesmen -- and millions of voters -- would be responsible for building and maintaining the greatness of the nation.

Naturally, the military continues to be an important element of physical defense. But more important to defending a democracy from external dangers is the need to defend it from internal forces such as corruption, apathy, greed, and any number of non-democratic ills that can creep up when populations get complacent en masse. Without being on guard, a democracy might crumble internally, even while surrounded by its vigilant and vaunted military protecting the borders.

That which makes our democracy an actual democracy should be celebrated as patriotic. Guns, not so much. The Soviets had guns. Hitler had guns. They honored their armies, too. It means nothing in regards to the character of a country. Certainly, the men and women who put themselves (or, are put) in harm's way must be brave. But soldiers everywhere are brave. That's a personal quality, not necessarily a national one.

So why is it that references to patriotism in the United States are most frequently, popularly, and obviously associated with military prowess? Do most people think armies have more to do with keeping us free than do the mechanics of democracy, like voting and other responsibilities of citizenship in a free society? Is it really so simple a fact as that Americans just like to see things go Boom?

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