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> Neither you nor the author explain how patriotism is linked to power It's linked to the people in power, no? A population that's highly patriotic and support
by orf 11y ago
> Neither you nor the author explain how patriotism is linked to power
It's linked to the people in power, no? A population that's highly patriotic and supportive of the country they live in are more likely to go along with whatever the leaders of the country do. Like root out people with communist ideas or supposed Japanese spies (and put them in big old camps). Hitler was an expert at stoking the patriotic fires and this helped in immeasurably at the start.
A disenfranchised populous is unlikely to follow their leaders to war and be far more critical (and vocal) about their policies.
- nmrm2 11y agoJapanese internment camps, wasted energy on McCarthyist witch hunts, Nazi concentration camps, and futile wars are all excellent examples of how patriotism can undermine national power. Patriotism is an emotion. Emotional decision making can help avoid debates that lead to inaction, but it can also enable horrendously stupid decisions. It's not clear to me that overbearing patriotism in the general population is a net benefit to a democratic superpower.