Patriotism

Patriotism

What is it? Some seem to think it is being willing to die for their country. But, as American general George Patton said, that wasn't your duty; your duty was to see that some other poor bastard did for his country. So it's not about giving your life. It quite possibly is about feelings of belonging and even affection and loyalty to a country in which you have lived a largely successful and happy life (if that is what you have done). What it most certainly means, if you feel patriotic, is that you want the best of outcomes in any situation for your country of allegiance.

We have to be careful here for, as Samuel johnson pointed out »patriotism is the last refuge of a rogue». (Much the same, I think, could be said of appeals to democracy). In other words, appeals to patriotism can be a desperate act of someone who has no other argument to other in his/her cause. So, with that in mind, who in Britain's current political situation wants the best outcome for Britain and who is making spurious appeals to patriotism (or democracy)?

A number of polls now show that the UK population is largely in favour of remaining in the EU, as high as 60% in favour of remaining. All Leave advocates now accept that the UK will suffer through Brexit, for different numbers of decades. So what should a patriot hope for? I can think of only one reasonable answer: that the UK should remain in the EU, to avoid damage to the UK. That would be the most popular and most patriotic decision.

But that option is apparently not on the table. Why? Why would an elected Parliament refuse to consider the most popular and patriotic vote?

The only answer I can think of is that patriotism is not the issue. There have to be other issues. What could the other issues be? Clearly, they have to be either personal issues among the power brokers or party political issues. Who stands to gain, because it is obviuosly not the country? The motivations can only be a question of debate but how can a situation arise in which an elected Parliament decides across the board to act against the interest of the population whose interests it is supposed to represent?

I don't want to go into what the personal or political motivations might be (although I have strong views on them) or indeed to the patenntly spurious appeals to patriotism and democracy. All I want to note here is that a democratic Parliament that overtly rejects the clear view of its population is in an untenable, hence unstable situation. There has to be a revolt, although it is very unlikely to be a bloody revolution in the UK. Many politicians in the UK must foresee this and what they decide to do about it will shape their futures (as I am sure they are aware) as well as that of the citizens of the UK. Revolutions, even peaceful ones, tend to produce notable casualties. Many politicians must be asking themselves who will be called upon to answer for what will follow.