Patriotism… What Does it Mean to Love Your Country?
In most nations worldwide, citizens share a feeling of nationalistic belonging to the country as a cohesive community. Patriotism is often seen as a black or white issue but I argue it is much grayer than you think.
Whether it is performing (incorrectly) a military salute, or holding a fist to the heart, patriotic gestures litter our daily lives. I am Lebanese, so I will focus on the Lebanese national identity. However, the concepts discussed here revolve around patriotism as a whole, so they can be applied to various occurrences worldwide.
The story of this article began penning itself in August of this year, 2022, when I sat down with a couple friends of mine at our local coffee shop. The characteristic smell of roasting beans, the dull humidity of a coastal afternoon, and the quiet commotion of a coffee shop who’s regular customers hadn’t yet begun their fall semesters.
As we drank the coffee, we spilled the tea. Eventually the deluge of tea came crashing down upon the riverbed of a resonant question: “What does it mean to love your country?”
In Lebanese society, patriotism is reliably instilled by schooling institutions, popular culture, and the political establishment. But with the currently unfolding socioeconomic meltdown, much doubt has been cast on the fate of this ironclad sentiment.
I’ve talked to people who are completely indifferent to the question of loving the country, people who would ditch Lebanon if it were to gain, in the words of a patriot, “this plastic straw with which I drink my iced coffee here.”
Similarly, I’ve conversed with such patriots as intense as this aforementioned plastic straw metaphor. These men and women are repulsed by the prospect of immigration, and are adamant on adhering to their Lebanese roots.
Still, I haven’t found a single definitive answer to this godforsaken question. Ostensibly, I love my country, but when confronted with such uncompromising figures that are either indifferent to their country’s persistence (or lack thereof), or dedicated to their nation’s very core, I find myself confused unable to sit myself down on either bench.
In my country, the yes-no end-all question of whether or not you are a patriot seems to be “Will you immigrate when you grow up?” If the answer is “yes,” expect a flagrant rebuke of the sorts that involves typical overused imagery such as: “Lebanon is not a hotel where you come and go whenever you like,” or better yet, “Who will water the cedar if everyone leaves?” If “no” is your answer, be prepared for a tapestry of disappointed faces, typically uttering trite prophecies of doom such as: “Trust me, there is nothing left for you here,” or the iconic, “There is no future in this country.”
In pursuit of getting closer to answering the question that so plagues me, I reached out to a few friends and talked to them about patriotism, and what it means to love your country. As expected, the responses varied considerably.
Before diving into a subject complex on so many different levels, let’s set the scope of the term “patriotism,” shall we?
What is Patriotism?
“I just hate Lebanon because there is so little good compared to bad.” — a classmate
In short, Patriotism is opposite the sentiment expressed above… sort of. Patriotism, really, is loving your country despite its flaws not because of them. I do not love Lebanon because the government is corrupt. I love Lebanon despite the government being corrupt. The man of the plastic straw metaphor spoke so perfectly when he said:
“Patriotism is the keen and pure love of one’s country in a way in which that love endures in the most tragic and devastating of times and in which a patriot (a man or woman of honor and value regarded towards his or her land) considers his or her country to be home…”
He went further and said what I greatly contest though:
“…and decides to stay fight and sacrifice whatever is necessary for its survival and welfare.”
Still, as my classmate proves to be the case, there are many disenchanted citizens that experience this sentimental schism from the rest of their peers. Though the patriotic customs and veneer of national unity crowd the Lebanese public sphere, it is evident that some if not many do not at all associate themselves with what they consider “empty traditions.”
The persistent dissociation is established, but what then is the cause of such disillusionment? People who feel unpatriotic do not usually feel that way out of a general disdain for the entire nation therein. Most commonly, certain aspects that constitute the nation-state leave a bitter aftertaste that masks any residual positivity. I feel the need to rewind just a little to define the nation-state.
In other cases, people felt patriotic despite acknowledging bad aspects that according to them became part of the country. Replying to my questions on patriotism, another friend said;
“It has become part of the people to be easily manipulated and brainwashed very easily.”
The Nation-State
The concept of the nation-state with a national identity separated from the ruling monarchy’s dominion was born during the Age of Enlightenment, pioneered by the events of the French Revolution and the American War of Independence. Prior to that, there was no “state” as much as there was a land dominated by a monarch who taxed the land and was effectively its law.
The philosophies established during the Age of Enlightenment shepherded the creation of the modern nation-state. Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity (French Revolution). Peace, Order, and Good Government (Canadian Parliament). Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (U.S. Declaration of Independence). So many triads but the principles generally match up to what we, two centuries later, classify as “Western Values.”
Largely on the premise of these values was the nation-state built. The question now is as follows, was patriotism a result of the nation-state, or was the nation-state a result of patriotism?
To deconstruct this, we dive just a titch deeper into history. In France, though a common national identity was instilled, it was built around the people’s animosity towards the social class system. In the United States, the same can be said but it was founded upon a rejection of British colonialism. Then patriotism in its earliest forms was an unwavering loyalty to a common cause instead of a fixed national identity. Fascinatingly, this still applies today. The sentiment of patriotism cannot hold in a state where the state stands for nothing.
While the cause may shift with time as the nation-state builds its unique identity, the loyalty associated with it does not waver. The United States does not anymore define itself by its opposition to British colonialism and to the European “balance of power.” In his book Diplomacy, legendary American statesman and diplomat Henry Kissinger asserts the uniquely American obsession with altruistic foreign policy.
“No other nation has ever rested its claim to international leadership on its altruism.” — Henry Kissinger
And arguably, this divine mandate to propagate the principles of democracy and freedom has become a core part of the American identity. Call it American imperialism. Call it “Manifest Destiny.” The truths still remain.
Hence, states worldwide often come to change what defines them. It is an evolution that alters the very cores of nations as the push and pull of the geopolitical tide rearranges the state of affairs.
What does Lebanon stand for then, for it to warrant the sweltering feelings of patriotic pride? I asked some friends.
Why Patriotism?
For many, their love was directed towards marginal aspects of the national identity such as nature, food, and people. Scarce were the answers relating to a core of common values and morals, and scarcer even were the answers pertaining to the Lebanese idea. The idea of a culturally, religiously, and ethnically diverse nation, united in peaceful coexistence and loyalty to the unwavering cedar.
The Tabbouleh State
First, for many, loving the country is as simple as eating hummus and tabbouleh on Sundays with a shot of Araq, and smoke billowing from a grill arrayed with meats. I am all for that. This is patriotism.
The Valleys of History
Another point adored by many is the natural beauty that adorns Lebanon. From the cascading waterfalls of Afqa to the mystical grottos of Jeita, Lebanon is an uncontested gem of natural beauty in the region. Besides, every region in Lebanon bears on it a unique historical footprint thanks to the generations of occupiers that influenced the local culture. This is patriotism.
The Bastion of Freedom
Yet another key to why many love their country lies in its fusion of Western Values and traditional middle eastern morals. This fusion in a way gave way to the national identity Lebanon knows today. The love of this fusion is truly patriotism.
There is a distinction I make deliberately here to refute a fringe extreme. Patriotism, loving the country, is not dying for your country. Patriotism, loving the country, is not throwing away your future to stay entrenched in a land of perpetual suffering. Patriotism, loving the country, is not shaming those who prioritized their lives over an abstract idea of unity. No.
Patriotism, is loving the country despite its flaws. Loving the country is to be one with its culture. Loving the country is to keep the faith in a better tomorrow. Loving the country is to leave your anchor in the harbor of diversity, to return whence the pier’s been salvaged from ruins.
Love is not black or white. Patriotism is not black and white. There is a whole spectrum of grey where I find a bench to sit on, and where I drink coffee with my friends. On this spectrum I love the country yes, but I wouldn’t die on my bench just to keep saying so. If I were to die for the love of my country I would not. Because simple admiration for a national identity is futile. If I were to die for the country I would. Because death for a greater good is just. Another citizen may identify as patriotic by simply enjoying Lebanese TV shows. Who am I to conclude?
Whilst I may indulge in the fervor of my own patriotic pride, during the discussions, plausible arguments were presented in critique of patriotism. I could not refute these arguments before constructing an argumentative encasement defining the scope of patriotic sentiment; thus, I dedicated this article to exactly that.
What Does it Mean to Love Your Country?
To love your country is to be a patriot. To love your country is to enjoy its culture, embrace its people, and identify with its values. To love your country can also be dying for your country. Every citizen has the right to love the country in a unique befitting way. In the core Lebanese values we share, the ultimate unpatriotic treason is not to say “I hate this country,” but rather to condemn others for “not being patriotic enough.” Knowing that diversity of culture, religion, and most importantly, opinion, are at the center of what it means to be Lebanese.
After I had finished the cup of coffee, the discussion continued. When it did end, no definite conclusions were made, so I decided to write an article to conclude. It appears, many cups of coffee and many more words written, later, I am furthest from a conclusion than I have ever been. What does it mean to love your country? I do not know for sure. What I know for certain is that this love in its differing manifestations transcends the boundaries of space, time, and circumstance. It is a burning ache in your heart and a feeling of belonging to something more, something bigger, something great.
For me, to love your country is to have the burning ache of dread when thinking of your separation with it.
To love your country is to think about it before soon being so cruelly separated by the dagger of life.
For you, it is sure to be different, but it is a dedication in heart, more than a dedication in actions or words.
Words lie and actions deceive, but your heart is whole and true until it is broken,
and it is broken only when your country tears itself apart.
Even so, your heart heals and loves anew,
a country born again,
until it too,
dies again,
lives again,
and rises so new.
Hey, you made it. This article has been a long time in the works, and I hope that paid off. If you enjoyed it do leave a clap and you might be interested in clicking through to the previous article about Globalism and why it is actually a good thing. Thanks for dropping by!
