Patriotism

We just celebrated Independence Day in the U.S., and everywhere people are debating what "patriotism" really means. As both major presidential candidates continue jabbing at each other on the subject, I was very touched by an article by Chris Satullo in the Philadelphia Inquirer titled "A not-so-glorious Fourth" – it may be a little after the fact, but I hope everyone reads it, as the message goes beyond the holiday itself.

Our great nation seems to be crumbling around us these days – morally as well as financially. Morally, as this administration has abandoned our high ideals and squandered our standing in the world by engaging in barbaric torture and pillaging our Constitution – all with the compliant approval of most of the media and Congress. As Mr. Satullo explains, we, the public, share in the blame as well, since we have not expressed sufficient outrage at these developments.

Financially, things are going downhill fast as well, but the case can be made that this was caused by our moral failings as well. Not because God is punishing us for our sins, but because there is a direct correlation between not playing by the rules and the long-term fallout that that causes. Financial institutions have been allowed to skirt the rules laid down after the Great Depression. And those rules have now been rewritten to accommodate the corporate behemoths that have grown so powerful, Congress seems to be their own private puppet theater. They pull the strings, and bought-and-paid-for politicians do their bidding.

Things must change, and fast, if we are to preserve this still-young democracy. And perhaps it starts with redefining "patriotism."