What does “being patriotic” even mean these days? Does it remain the same as intended, or has it evolved into something else, in the absence of anyone to protect it from those who would manipulate its meaning for their own ends? I think it is a little of both.
The passage of time alters all things, however this creates a divergence which both leaves the original to itself, and yet also becomes something new. We see this evolution in all forms of language. While we hold onto the root meaning of the words we use, our language is made up of all the evolutions that original language took.
Its particularly sad when we see happy positive words forcibly altered to accommodate new hateful meanings, such as “fag” or “gay”. Or hopeful productive words, twisted into obscurity, such as the word “socialism” or “liberal”. We cannot say that the evolution of language is the issue, but we also can’t communicate with each other, if the meanings of the words we all use can simply be changed when someone rich and or hateful has an ulterior motive for them.
People can debate on what a society should be and what its governing system should be responsible for, but it inevitably gets confused in the details. As they workout the beast any system for many becomes, they become lost in the finer details. They lose sight of the bigger picture and consequence of their decisions. In this state, the wolves (rich special interests) slip in and manipulate their perspective, if not buy it off outright.
Such a large undertaking is prone to the growing pains of its girth, but that doesn’t mean that the essential originating concept is justifiably lost. Both the original concept and that which perverts it, are obvious and simple in form, as well as intrinsically connected. The most functional society for the largest number of people, ensures that no person is cheated of their efforts, by person nor system.
It ensures human rights and equality for every single person, both those who achieve/seek great things in life, and those that are content with less. The logic in this is found by simply knowing yourself…..if you are the one being cheated, you wouldn’t think it was fair nor right. Therefore, you would never choose that of your own volition, and thereby would never choose the society that did this to you and or allowed it. Now make the obvious leap that most people will feel this way, and suddenly any society which does this to its people, becomes obviously propped up solely by its ability to force it upon them.
Rational leadership isn’t impossible to find, nor is a decent/moral society difficult to create, but neither can do anything functional, nor exist as they are, so long as those with the most motivation and the most ability to cause harm on the largest scale possible, are left to their own devices. It’s not that all rich people are the problem of any society though. In fact, they can be a representation of its success.
However the means by which they become rich and sustain their wealth, as well as what they choose to do with it, is what separates those who cause the biggest issue in all societies, from those that represent what a functional society is capable of bringing to its people. Its not that money is the root of all evil, nor that absolute power corrupts, its that within all groupings of human beings, there exist a small portion who can’t help themselves but to be destructive to the whole. Its human nature.
What people tend to forget, is that ALL groupings of human beings have this small percentage who work against the group, rich and poor, male and female, black and white, etc, etc. Which is why equal laws that apply to all citizens, and are enforced for all citizens, is not only important, but utterly imperative. We need to understand that creating regulations and laws is not about discipline or authority, it’s about functionality/sustainability.
Thankfully most people won’t do the destructive thing, but when it comes to a rich person, their access and resources give them the ability to cause a scale of harm it would take hundreds, if not thousands, and in some cases millions of people to effect otherwise. If we don’t understand that in terms of importance to regulate and police, the rich must always be top priority, then the policing of anything else is pointless.
This is where almost every society throughout human history has failed their people, and ultimately what led to the downfall of those societies no longer with us. A small group of rich/powerful people manipulating the system which can only exist when large groups of people attempt living with each other.
We almost never learn that most simple of lessons…...worry about Godzilla destroying your village, before you worry about the ant crawling up through the floorboard. If Godzilla destroys your house, the ant really won’t matter. America needs to get its priorities straight.
So perhaps the better question isn’t what being patriotic means, but rather what it NEEDS to mean, in order to have any functional purpose. It NEEDS to mean, fighting for OUR country (not what they twisted it into), faith in OUR government (not this pre-purchased farce of one), and a belief in a system which benefits ALL (not this ugly destructive monstrosity they have mutated our system into).
It needs to mean standing up to those that have taken our government. Standing up to the institutions trying to manipulate us. Most of all, it needs to mean finding clarity to see where the truth has been hidden, so that we can think for ourselves, and create a utopian future rather than the dystopian one our children seem doomed to inherit. Regulating the rich is the key to everything.
It’s not that all our problems will go away with it, but all of our problems will take natural forms we are allowed and capable of dealing with, once their manipulation of everything is finally stopped. So look for the bigger picture, see passed the manipulation of information, critically analyze as if your future depends on it, because it does. Everything depends on this.
In honor of the Fourth of July, I will remember to never forget the LEGAL election fraud committed by both the republican and democratic parties, which put Trump in the white house. I’ll remember that almost every single news source, conservative and liberal, facilitated this happening. And i’ll remember that the divide between liberal and conservative is a farce, the true divide is between decent people and destructive ones.
A good person doesn’t wish nor take action to cause harm to the innocent, therefore policies which do this, are not a matter of political philosophy, nor lack of understanding/intelligence, but only of basic human decency.
They want you to believe the divide is a political one, because there is a pretty equal split of conservatives and liberals in most large groups. This is intended to make gaining a majority nearly impossible. Once we realize that good people vastly outnumber the bad ones, we will finally have a majority which can affect positive change and sustain it.
So forget conservative and liberal labels and start looking for basic right vs wrong. Knowing that we ALL are capable of distinguishing this, without help, because of the golden rule. Our future will only be in our hands, once we take it back from those who stole it from us. A positive future for all is just within our grasp, if we can just bring ourselves to reach out and take it.
Trump’s America is certainly frightening, but the silver lining is that perhaps this will wake people up to the dangers of this small group of rich criminals, of which he was always an obvious part of. Perhaps this is what it takes for us to wrench a better future from their grubby, greedy, and of course, tiny little fingers. This is truly the most patriotic action any of us can take, if we wish to have a country which deserves anyone’s patriotism.
Bem vindo a steemit.
Thank you :)