Marketing Patriotism

Quote of the day:
“Historians are like deaf people who go on answering questions that no one has asked them.”
--Leo Tolstoy

The American flag has come to symbolize not just America, but a particular vision of America. Or a specific characteristic of America that the flag-bearer or wearer (in the case of flag lapel pins) wishes to emphasize.

That some people are much quicker than others to display the flag indicates one of three things.

They may feel an especially strong attachment to what they perceive as the values of America.

They may feel that America is fragile or weak and needs to be bolstered through their display of the flag.

Or they may think that others do not feel as strongly as they do about America’s sovereignty, and so need to be persuaded through seeing the flag.

The value of America that gets mentioned more than any other is “freedom.” Because most Americans have no experience with political oppression, the kind of freedom referred to is primarily economic.

Being a happy patriot is part of, and secondary to, the producing/consuming paradigm. The statement that a nation or an individual is acting “in the national interest” refers ultimately to an interest in producing and consuming with no restriction.

The producing/consumption paradigm often leads to excess and to pointlessness. For example, the desire of a childless couple for a five-bedroom home. When they live in such a home, they likely discover that most of the home is simply not used or very under-used.

More important, joy or happiness does not result. Instead, a process of home improvement and fix-up begins. The delusion is that satisfaction or happiness is at the end. But there is no end, just occasional pauses in an endless loop.