You dont have to be conservative or libertarian to be a patriot... You don't have to be "rah rah everything my country does and is is always great", and still love this country, and what it stands for.
John Fogerty... without doubt writing from a left perspective... wrote "Fortunate Son", about people who use false patriotism as a cover for their hypocrisy, while abusing and exploiting others.. I actually think it's a very patriotic song.
Its holding America to the standard of what we are supposed to be, and saying "we arent doing what we are supposed to do... we aren't being what we are supposed to be, and we need to fix that, and we can and will fix that".
Unfortunately, I no longer believe that is the spirit that animates most of the american left... Their motivating thoughts about America seem to be more like... "Everything you are supposed to be is fake and evil and we need to destroy you and build something better".
...And some of them may even honestly believe that's patriotism... But it isnt. Not even close...
What it is, is criticalism... Gramscian criticalism in particular; the philosophy that says if something isn't unfailing perfect then it is irredeemably corrupt and wrong, and must be destroyed and replaced with perfection.
A philosophy that caused the deaths of at least 100 million people over the last 120 years....For that matter, the earlier basis for it, is what killed a few million from 1789 to 1799.
What we are seeing in our streets right now... some of it is motivated by genuine grievance... But some of it is that same philosophy and spirit that created the rein of terror, and the killing fields... And that, is something we can never allow to take hold.
