Liberalguy

Clueless Collinsworth: Patriotism is Passe’ By Arnold Ahlert (bio)

“Is that a cool thing to say in this day and age? That you love your country, and that you’re fighting for the red, white and blue? It seems sort of like a day gone by.”–NBC sports commentator Chris Collinsworth interviewing LA Laker/Olympic basketball star Kobe Bryant Rarely does the mindset of the American “progressivism” reveal itself with such clarity. For those who see the world in “global terms” unabashed patriotism is out of style. Surprising? Hardly. This is what forty-plus years of progressive proselytization in public schools has given us. “Multicultural America” is just another country, no better or worse than any other. American history? Don’t know it, don’t care, irrelevant. Better to be a “citizen of the world” than stand behind the red, white and blue. How phony is such an ideology? 9/11 was a defining moment, not just because it was the worst domestic attack in American history, but because most Americans’ GUT reaction when faced with a real-world “expression of ideology”–as opposed to elitist/academic ideological theory–was unambiguously patriotic. Unfortunately, seven-plus years Bush Derangement Syndrome, and the constant drumbeat of negativity from a MSM with a progressive agenda have made ordinary Americans doubt their love of country once again. Nothing has had a more deleterious effect on Americans than the progressives’ contention that “taking sides” is an out-dated concept. Such a viewpoint is pure poison, completely at odds with reality. What reality? Out of six billion people in the world, a mere three hundred million have been blessed with historically unprecedented freedom and bounty. Contempt for that miracle–and it IS a miracle–is only possible when people become so removed the sacrifices necessary to achieve it they begin to believe a miracle is the natural order of things. Only the ignorant, and the self-absorbed could believe that freedom and prosperity are self-sustaining. Only those so far removed from brutish realities of the world–purposely, determinedly removed–could believe love of one’s country is a personally diminishing concept. Regarding the Olympics, I would like to believe most Americans are actually rooting for their fellow Americans. But maybe even that’s an out-dated concept. In many schools, the “deep” thinkers have decided that competition, keeping score and celebrating winning have become “unseemly.” Losing is no longer a viewed as a motivation for improvement, but as a a threat to one’s self-esteem. On such islands self-righteousness, everyone deserves a trophy just for showing up. How long before winning a gold, silver or bronze medal for America becomes jingoistic? If one takes people like NBC’s Chris Collinsworth seriously, it’s already “uncool.”