Quote of the Week

“By defining Americanism too narrowly and backwardly, conservative patriotism risks becoming clubby. And by celebrating America too unabashedly—without sufficient regard for America’s sins—it risks degenerating from patriotism into nationalism, a self-righteous, chest-thumping ideology that celebrates America at the expense of the rest of the world. But if conservative patriotism can be too exclusionary, liberal patriotism risks not being exclusionary enough. If liberals love America purely because it embodies ideals like liberty, justice and equality, why shouldn’t they love Canada—which from a liberal perspective often goes further toward realizing those principles—even more? And what do liberals do when those universal ideals collide with America’s self interest? Giving away the federal budget to Africa would probably increase the sum of justice and equality on the planet after all. But it would harm Americans and thus be unpatriotic.”

- Peter Beinart, “Patriot Games” in Time, 7-7-08, p. 32