Patriotism Essay Example for Free

Patriotism Essay Bader main thesis is that patriotism is neither good nor evil, depending on how its ‘name’ is called upon. Bader asserts that patriotism has numerous forms, and yet the author expresses that all these forms share common psychological underpinnings – that of meeting the needs of safety and connectedness. The author begins by saying that he metaphors of patriotism have been likened to family, that accords individuals with security and attachment. He further expounds on the idea of patriotism is a psychological means to address connectedness and safety needs. On one end, patriotism provides protection and strength which are virtues associated with paternity; on the other, patriotism is also symbolic of caring which are traits linked with motherhood. A second idea would be acknowledging that while patriotism is influenced by a host of factors apart from the unconscious, its potency stems from its being psychological – embedded in the recesses of our unconscious. In this sense, it is a way of addressing the psychological needs of attachment and recognition, and the failure to sufficiently meet such needs lead to psychosis or mental dysfunction. In discussing these psychological needs, he has used the example of an infant who has virtually full dependence on its caregivers – the latter being the embodiment of power and authority. The manner of protection received by children determines their sense of insecurity and developing trust in others. The quest for security is also constant, even as we feel a perennial lack of safety and protection. In his third idea, he says that given these metaphors of family, it is now easier to comprehend the psychological dynamics behind patriotism. One’s affiliation with the United States brings a strong sense of safety and connectedness to its citizens. It is also able to â€Å"bind† and bring together people who share the same sense of safety and connectedness because of a common affiliation of citizenship. A fourth point is that the manner in which patriotism satisfies these psychological needs take on more potency since these are very difficult to find in our daily social lives. Society is depicted as highly individualistic. This social experience further reinforce the insecurity and lack of safety that parents have developed in people as children. These pent up thoughts and feelings are then stored in the unconscious as frustrations. A fifth point of the author is that patriotism seems to address these unconscious frustrations in being an ideal representation of national pride, historical purpose, and collectivism – which are all constructs related to safety and connectedness. Political parties leverage on these frustrations, trying their best to project the image of protector in appealing to people. They take advantage of the ‘parent’ paradigm, presenting themselves as caring, nurturing, and protective. This exploitation of psychic needs are used to advocate both liberal and conservative ends. In his sixth point, he proposes that the Left seem to be more effective at furthering its agenda. A perfect example would be the way in which police and surveillance powers were justified in the name of protecting the nation. Moreover, the author expresses tht conservatives have been more skilled at using prejudice and the concept of an ‘enemy’ in furthering its ends. Educational institutions’ influence may exert impact in addressing these psychological needs, teaching empathy, recognition, and other values that may intend to gratify these needs. Finally, he says that the psychological dynamics that underlie patriotism are global in nature, driven by the needs of safety and connectedness. These needs may be addressed in both healthy and unhealthy means and may be done so towards immoral ends. In itself, it is neither good nor evil, and these value judgments are made depending on the use or purpose for which the name of patriotism is used. Bader’s main strength in this article is the fact that he gave the much needed logic and connection to the ideas he presented – man’s needs, the collective feeling of people, and the rationale behind the use of patriotism as a tool for political motivation. He has also found basis for the conclusion that patriotism is neither good or bad. This moral judgment on the goodness or evilness of patriotism lies in the purpose for which it is used; for example, political parties use them to take control of people’s political choice. However, a weakness that can be seen is that the author also stressed to many points against conservatives. He may be pointing out his opinions but have put the conservatives into a bad light. In trying to be more objective in his assessment of the issue, he may have looked into the liberal side as well, presenting cases similar to what he did for conservatives. This way, he will not be perceived as biased. Another weakness that may be seen is that the resolution just took on a very short note. It just went on a short notice that it hardly qualified as a resolution. Although the author has a point on the matter, he failed to expound on it and define the steps to be taken, why they should be taken and to whom should the action be devoted to. There was also very little pragmatic value based from the recommendations of the author. The only direct action step he has proposed is for schools to leverage on their influence the satisfaction of these psychological needs. The article is very detailed that it is hard at first not to agree with the writer. I agreed with the point that man indeed has the necessity of wanting to feel secured and safe at all times, even wanting to find their necessities amidst the insecurities that they have experienced. I also do agree that the value of patriotism is used in politically motivated ways to achieve the means needed by the parties to gain trust among the people and be recognized as a truth bearing entity. I also agree that although patriotism should be upheld during the times of the 9/11 and the Hurricane Katrina, it should not be a venue for people moving with political agendas and using the â€Å"sacred† value as a means of it. And lastly, I do believe that the educational institutions should have a hand in directing the people, especially the youth towards the ways of non-discriminating, unbiased people. They should also teach people about how they would filter information being fed to them on the grounds of racism, bias and discrimination. The educational system is one of the institutions that a person attends to. It is hard to imagine that one would try to go to school and learn, only to come out and be tainted and blinded by other people’s political agendas – when in fact, they should be helping us in the assimilation stage of our studies, not changing what we learned to what political people would want us to think. That would be driving us away from what patriotism is really about. The kind of patriotism that each citizen has practiced and witnessed during in times of grief and misery, like the times of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Patriotism, at its very core, is about satisfying the psychological needs of people. It becomes a very strong and influential factor specially since its roots are deeply embedded in our psyche – our collective psyche at that. However, care must be taken about how the concept may be taken advantaged of by those who have personal agendas – such as politicians – for meeting their own selfish ends. This prudence and tact may be influenced strongly by schools. They can concretely draft activities that are meant to develop a strong sense of safety and connectedness. In sufficiently addressing these psychological needs, the probability of being exploited – through an appeal to emotion and psyche – is effectively reduced. People can be more critical and discriminating about what to believe. They then do not fall victim into these opportunistic ways of evoking patriotism’s name.