Is Patriotism Propaganda With Extra Steps? Or A Gift To Every Nation?
In a notable deviation from the norm, a friend of mine spoke of patriotism as malign propaganda intended to brainwash people. Though tempted to dismiss the argument as absurd, I held back. Instead, opting to write an article methodically deconstructing such a proposition.
Patriotism, defined extensively in a previous article, is the sentiment of dedicated love towards a country or nation. Typically, this encompasses elements of the culture, history, and identity of the nation in question. An argument I have heard made is the usage of patriotism as propaganda. Specifically, the way in which patriotic sentiment is used to incite violence and xenophobia. In Lebanon, it has rarely been used to such ends; instead, it has been a historically uniting force against oppression.
Patriotism, by nature, is different in every country, or even from region to region. This is why this article alone cannot hope to discuss the global usage of patriotism in every country in the world. Rather, it will focus only on Lebanon’s case, drawing conclusions that may be contrasted in the future with the assertions of a subsequent article on a different patriotic case. If you are interested in American patriotism for instance, there’s a great article by Jacob Grandstaff about why he loves his country, the United States.
In this article though, I will examine the effects of Lebanese patriotism through a historical and contemporary lens. Mix yourself a shot of ‘Araq, this is about to get heated.
Lebanon and Patriotism
To refute this argument, a brief analysis of Lebanese history demonstrates that times of national progress and prosperity were ensconced in periods of abundant patriotism. When Lebanon gained its independence in 1943, it was by means of a largely patriotic and non-sectarian march protesting the imprisonment of Bechara el Khoury, Riad el Solh, and other advocates of Lebanese independence.
Moving forward a few decades, the Lebanese civil war ended only by means of a national reconciliation. Whereby, warlords put aside their sectarian differences and restored national order. Had it not been the Lebanese desire for a unitary state, Lebanon would have remained fragmented along the lines of religious and ethnic rivalries. Here, I draw a distinct remark that will be relevant throughout the article: patriotism when culminating in a united opposition is the bane of a power-sharing structure.
Here is a brief (and I really mean brief) explainer on contemporary Lebanese politics. After the Lebanese Civil War that raged through the 70s and 80s, Lebanese leaders sat down in Taif, Saudi Arabia and agreed to a national reconciliation in what has become known as the Taif Agreement. This agreement notably deflated the sweeping powers of the Lebanese Presidency, held by the Maronite Christians, and redistributed them amongst the Prime Minister’s Cabinet, held by the Sunni Muslims, and the Speaker of Parliament’s Gavel, held by the Shiite Muslims. Moreover, the Parliament was expanded to 128 seats divided equally among Muslims and Christians.
This agreement was praised for its demonstration of national unity and goodwill towards all participating parties. However, this agreement also detailed the gradual dismantling of the religious power-sharing structure in government. Yes, you read that right, Lebanon’s abysmal power-sharing system was intended as a temporary solution, yet it is now clear: the most permanent solution is a temporary solution.
Fiefdoms and Microstates
Taif gave way for Lebanese reconciliation, that is true, but as the temporary solution was drawn out indefinitely, cracks began appearing. What Taif created, or rather continued, was a Clientelist system. Essentially, local politicians tightly held on to their electorates not through terror but through bribes, employment, and services.
Since the government was and still is effectively crippled, healthcare for example is provided by every political party to its supporters. The wrecked public education system collapsed under the weight of party-sponsored migrations to the private schooling sector. Private electricity generators fell under the oligopoly of ruling political parties, preventing reform to the public electricity grid as it conflicted with politicians’ private interests.
The people long forgot what it was like to live under a powerful unitary state, adapting to the rule of the mafias and fully embracing this new order. Really, why not? When all services are provided to you by your congressman every election cycle only to be forgotten for 4 more years before being serviced again. You get employed in a cushy government position so long as you and your family consistently vote for the politician who your position depends upon. Even when you don't agree with his/her policies, he’s the one who employed you after all, so how can you not vote for the “Za’im”?
To perpetuate their control, the Za’ims employed sectarian rhetoric vilifying the other side and glorifying their own accomplishments. Patriotism and love for a united country were nowhere to be seen — except in outdated government-issued Social Studies schoolbooks. The government, for all its worth, did a bare minimum to keep a pretense of patriotism alive — waving Lebanese flags above crumbling government institutions. What a fitting metaphor for the country’s dying pride…
The Flicker of Revolution
All was well and medieval until cracks started appearing in the hastily-assembled mural — it collapsed shortly thereafter. In 2019, under the increasing weight of socioeconomic meltdown, peaceful protests erupted in the capital, Beirut, and then spread like wildfire across Lebanon’s coastal cities. The social structure had spontaneously combusted after decades of its core rotting under a cool exterior.
The oxygen that gave life to the October 17 Revolution was unrestrained patriotism. After trudging like lifeless sacks behind its leaders for decades, waving yellow, green, blue, black and orange flags, the faintest scent of patriotism and national unity galvanized a nation: gave it life in the stead of living death, gave it light in the stead of darkness, gave it hope in the stead of anger and despair!
After all this… I saw a Lebanese flag waving. Not over a collapsing government building, but over the crowds of Lebanese. Patriotism, this feeling of majestic pride, this sentiment of ancestral belonging, this echo of heroes passed, awoke the Lebanese people from their self-imposed exile of misery.
Snuffed out in an Instant
For all its grandiose potential, the Revolution fell flat from causing radical change, but it set an important precedent: the Lebanese people are ready to act in the face of corruption. In hindsight, the protest movement that lasted for months on end, stranding people behind their TV screens at home or with their compatriots on the street, was a warning shot of what the Lebanese people are capable of when armed with a sense of patriotic unity.
Thus, politicians rushed to inflict fear and inflame sectarian sentiment, quickly dousing the patriotic flicker that had ignited the flames they fear so. The politicization of the subsequent Beirut Blast investigation, the incitement of the Tayyouneh Clashes, and other incidents are proof of the regime’s wide use of this method.
Now that the country’s situation is much worse than what it was in 2019, patriotism, perhaps subconsciously, is what keeps many Lebanese silently pushing forward.
Conclusion
With all that being said, Patriotism is a force for good — at least in Lebanon — as it gives the people a sense of unity and belonging to something more. Analyses of the historical and contemporary aspects of this topic defend its merits in fueling popular movements across time. However, this is not the case all over the world. We can draw out from many developed countries, where patriotism has crossed the line into radical nationalism, that strong attachment to one’s homeland can be exploited to justify malicious means. One need only look at the absurd justifications of their senseless wars.
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