The webster's dictionary defines it as love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it. Some people mistake that as meaning to blindly follow whatever the popular political opinion might be that week whether it's raising taxes, going to war, or any other issue of the month. I believe that being a patriot means to love your country, but also take advantage of your liberties and point out when something might be wrong. The war in iraq, the faltering economy, and terrorism have made people very tense about what direction our country is heading. In particular the war in iraq brought out many different opinions and many of them were against the action our government took. These people were often ridiculed by members of the right and talk radio as being un patriotic.

Somehow people speaking passionately against an issue became whether its war, public school funding, or the economy people speaking on an issue exemplifies what patriotism truly is. Our country was founded by people who had a passion for a better idea and they fought for the freedoms we enjoy to this very day. If we live in a country where minority opinions are discouraged or even silenced, then whenever our country faces an issue that strikes up debate, . 1 sources cited length: 2152 words 6.1 double spaced pages rating: blue price: $26.95 patriotism: use with caution patriotism has a different face for everyone. Some follow it blindly, some reject and oppose it, some stand indifferent, and others choose to follow it cautiously.

Patriotism is also now a challenge for multi cultural societies because the back bone of social unity can no longer be merely similarities in ethnicity, culture, or religion. In this essay, i shall state the risks of following patriotism blindly and the risks involved in rejecting patriotism completely. I will also show the practicality and correct motives for following moderate patriotism. Patriotism is the love, commitment, and loyalty an individual feels for his or her country. Patriotism started after english, scottish, and dutch settlers achieved their independence from england hibben 2.

Later, a migration of multi ethnic people came to aid with the development of the country, adopting it as their own 3. Psychologically, patriotism is a result of people's definition of themselves according to the groups they love and belong to bar tal 216. Nor can we longer hear the tales of great deeds, for the stories our mothers tell today are but those of sorrow, tears, and grief. What, then, is patriotism? patriotism, sir, is the last resort of scoundrels, said dr. Leo tolstoy, the greatest anti patriot of our times, defines patriotism as the principle that will justify the training of wholesale murderers a trade that requires better equipment for the exercise of man killing than the making of such necessities of life as shoes, clothing, and houses a trade that guarantees better returns and greater glory than that of the average workingman. Gustave herv , another great anti patriot, justly calls patriotism a superstition one far more injurious, brutal, and inhumane than religion. The superstition of religion originated in man's inability to explain natural phenomena.

That is, when primitive man heard thunder or saw the lightning, he could not account for either, and therefore concluded that back of them must be a force greater than himself. Similarly he saw a supernatural force in the rain, and in the various other changes in nature. Patriotism, on the other hand, is a superstition artificially created and maintained through a network of lies and falsehoods a superstition that robs man of his self respect and dignity, and increases his arrogance and conceit. Patriotism assumes that our globe is divided into little spots, each one surrounded by an iron gate. Those who have had the fortune of being born on some particular spot, consider themselves better, nobler, grander, more intelligent than the living beings inhabiting any other spot. It is, therefore, the duty of everyone living on that chosen spot to fight, kill, and die in the attempt to impose his superiority upon all the others. The inhabitants of the other spots reason in like manner, of course, with the result that, from early infancy, the mind of the child is poisoned with bloodcurdling stories about the germans, the french, the italians, russians, etc.

When the child has reached manhood, he is thoroughly saturated with the belief that he is chosen by the lord himself to defend his country against the attack or invasion of any foreigner. It is for that purpose that we are clamoring for a greater army and navy, more battleships and ammunition. It is for that purpose that america has within a short time spent four hundred million dollars. Just think of it four hundred million dollars taken from the produce of the people.

Assistance With Writing a Case Study

It is a patriotism that will assist the arch murderer, diaz, in destroying thousands of lives in mexico, or that will even aid in arresting mexican revolutionists on american soil and keep them incarcerated in american prisons, without the slightest cause or reason. It reminds one of the historic wisdom of frederick the great, the bosom friend of voltaire, who said: religion is a fraud, but it must be maintained for the masses. That patriotism is rather a costly institution, no one will doubt after considering the following statistics. The progressive increase of the expenditures for the leading armies and navies of the world during the last quarter of a century is a fact of such gravity as to startle every thoughtful student of economic problems. It may be briefly indicated by dividing the time from 1881 to 1905 into five year periods, and noting the disbursements of several great nations for army and navy purposes during the first and last of those periods. The military expenditures of each of the nations mentioned increased in each of the five year periods under review.

During the entire interval from 1881 to 1905 great britain's outlay for her army increased fourfold, that of the united states was tripled, russia's was doubled, that of germany increased 35 per cent. If we compare the expenditures of these nations upon their armies with their total expenditures for all the twenty five years ending with 1905, the proportion rose as follows: in great britain from 20 per cent. To 37 in the united states from 15 to 23 in france from 16 to 18 in italy from 12 to 15 in japan from 12 to 14.

On the other hand, it is interesting to note that the proportion in germany decreased from about 58 per cent. To 25, the decrease being due to the enormous increase in the imperial expenditures for other purposes, the fact being that the army expenditures for the period of 190i 5 were higher than for any five year period preceding. Statistics show that the countries in which army expenditures are greatest, in proportion to the total national revenues, are great britain, the united states, japan, france, and italy, in the order named. During the twenty five years ending with 1905 naval expenditures increased approximately as follows: great britain, 300 per cent. With the exception of great britain, the united states spends more for naval purposes than any other nation, and this expenditure bears also a larger proportion to the entire national disbursements than that of any other power.

In the period 1881 5, the expenditure for the united states navy was $6.20 out of each $100 appropriated for all national purposes the amount rose to $6.60 for the next five year period, to $8.10 for the next, to $11.70 for the next, and to $16.40 for 1901 5. It is morally certain that the outlay for the current period of five years will show a still further increase. The rising cost of militarism may be still further illustrated by computing it as a per capita tax on population. From the first to the last of the five year periods taken as the basis for the comparisons here given, it has risen as follows: in great britain, from $18.47 to $52.50 in france, from $19.66 to $23.62 in germany, from $10.17 to $15.51 in the united states, from $5.62 to $13.64 in russia, from $6.14 to $8.37 in italy, from $9.59 to $11.24, and in japan from 86 cents to $3.11.

Narrative Essay Synonyms

It is in connection with this rough estimate of cost per capita that the economic burden of militarism is most appreciable. The irresistible conclusion from available data is that the increase of expenditure for army and navy purposes is rapidly surpassing the growth of population in each of the countries considered in the present calculation. In other words, a continuation of the increased demands of militarism threatens each of those nations with a progressive exhaustion both of men and resources.

Pros And Cons of Homeschooling Essay

The awful waste that patriotism necessitates ought to be sufficient to cure the man of even average intelligence from this disease. The people are urged to be patriotic and for that luxury they pay, not only by supporting their defenders, but even by sacrificing their own children. Patriotism requires allegiance to the flag, which means obedience and readiness to kill father, mother, brother, sister. The usual contention is that we need a standing army to protect the country from foreign invasion. Every intelligent man and woman knows, however, that this is a myth maintained to frighten and coerce the foolish. The governments of the world, knowing each other's interests, do not invade each other.

Essay About Friendship In Hindi

They have learned that they can gain much more by international arbitration of disputes than by war and conquest. Indeed, as carlyle said, war is a quarrel between two thieves too cowardly to fight their own battle therefore they take boys from one village and another village, stick them into uniforms, equip them with guns, and let them loose like wild beasts against each other. Let us take our own spanish american war, supposedly a great and patriotic event in the history of the united states. How our hearts burned with indignation against the atrocious spaniards! true, our indignation did not flare up spontaneously. It was nurtured by months of newspaper agitation, and long after butcher weyler had killed off many noble cubans and outraged many cuban women. Still, in justice to the american nation be it said, it did grow indignant and was willing to fight, and that it fought bravely.