The Great "Social Experiment"

"I was walking with my brother

And he wondered what was on my mind

I said what I believe in my soul

Ain't what I see with my eyes

And we can't turn our backs this time

I am a patriot, and I love my country

Because my country is all I know..." - "Little" Steven Van Zandt, "I Am a Patriot", 1983

Patriotism has become a "dangerous" word because it is defined so differently by so many people today. From a scholarly perspective, there is only one definition of patriotism. The others fall under populism and Nationalism. When left unchecked, both have created very dangerous environments that, historically, have never boded well for "the people".

1. Patriotism

In academic discourse, patriotism is generally understood as a sense of love, devotion, and loyalty to one’s country. It is seen as a positive form of national attachment that emphasizes civic responsibility and commitment to the common good. Some key points:

• Civic virtue: Patriotism is connected to active participation in society, obeying the law, and protecting democratic values (e.g. The Constitution)
• Inclusive: Patriotism, from a scholarly perspective, tends to be inclusive, not based on ethnicity, religion, or race, but on shared principles, like equality and liberty.
• Critical loyalty: True patriotism involves the ability to critique one’s country for its failings to improve it, rather than blind loyalty.

2. Populism

Populist patriotism is often more emotionally charged and tied to the "will of the people" or the majority. It differs from the academic understanding in the following ways:

• Simplified nationalism: Populist leaders often present patriotism in simple terms—"us vs. them"—emphasizing the nation as inherently good and outsiders (or elites) as threats.
• Anti-elite sentiment: Populist patriotism frequently positions the “true” or “real” citizens against a corrupt elite or political establishment, claiming that they alone represent the “ordinary people.”
• Cultural defense: Populist versions of patriotism often include strong protectionist tendencies, placing a heavy emphasis on traditional values and sometimes promoting nativism or xenophobia as a form of defending national identity.
• Emotional rhetoric: Populist leaders appeal to emotions rather than reasoned debate, linking patriotism to personal sacrifice, pride, and national struggle rather than shared civic values.

When populism goes wrong, you find the society slips into authoritarianism, economic mismanagement, social division, attacks on free press and civil liberties and xenophobic scapegoating. Turkey under Erdogan, Zimbabwe under Mugabe, the United States following McCarthy, Chavez in Venezuela and Argentina under Peron are all good examples but Mussolini and Hitler are "textbook" for Populism.

3. Nationalism

Nationalism, particularly in its more extreme forms, differs from patriotism in that it usually implies a belief in the superiority or primacy of one's nation over others. Here are key points:

• Exclusive: Nationalism often emphasizes the importance of a specific ethnic, racial, or cultural identity. It tends to exclude others who are seen as different or not belonging to the national group.
• Authoritarian tendencies: Nationalism is more likely to demand unquestioning loyalty to its leaders, often rejecting dissent or criticism.
• Sovereignty over cooperation: Nationalists prioritize national sovereignty and often view international cooperation as a threat to national autonomy.
• Militaristic elements: Nationalist movements sometimes embrace militarism and view conflict, domestic and international, as inevitable and necessary for expansion.

When Nationalism goes too far, some of the characteristics that are found in society are "cleansing/purging" of groups and minorities, suppression of dissent, polarization and division that leads to greater fragmentation, violence and economic decline. Along with Hitler and Mussolini, you'll find other examples in Imperial Japan, Hutu Nationalism in Rwanda, Milosevic's Nationalism in Yugoslavia, the Ottoman Empire (Armenian genocide), Hindu Nationalism and the British Empire during Colonialism.

Across the Spectrum

• Scholarly patriotism emphasizes civic responsibility, critical loyalty, and tends to be inclusive.
• Populist patriotism focuses on majority rule, anti-elite sentiment, and often involves a cultural defense against outsiders or elites.
• Nationalism prioritizes ethnic identity, exclusivity, and often entails unquestioning loyalty and the pursuit of national dominance.

In sum, while scholarly patriotism highlights civic responsibility and loyalty, populist patriotism adds a mass appeal with emotional and exclusionary overtones. Nationalism, on the other hand, takes this exclusion to an extreme, emphasizing superiority and often endorsing conflict or authoritarianism. The transition across the spectrum isn't overnight but it also doesn't take long.

In his farewell address, George Washington spoke of his greatest fear; that party loyalties would lead to factionalism and destroy the country from within. He specifically said "blind loyalty to party" will foster a "spirit of revenge" and enable the rise of "cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men who would usurp for themselves the reins of government: destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion."

"I only know one party

And it is freedom..."