Many people who wear their patriotism on their sleeves, or rather on their lapel (you know, the little flag pins), are, I have come to realise, not patriots at all. A patriot, is someone I have been led to believe, will commonly, but not always, believe in their country, support their country when needed, and then stand up for what is right in order to protect those who cannot do so for themselves. You probably have your own definition of what it means to be a patriot, but we could probably all agree it does not mean deliberately and wantonly damaging your own country for selfish gain. A supreme example of this would be Russia’s Putin. He claims to be a patriot, but in many respects he is making his country worse off. There is a long list; life expectancy, trade, economic stability, etc etc. And while I have no doubt he loves his country, by his very actions he is making Russia weaker not stronger. And so to the never ending US elections. You have a constant stream of people, predominantly old white guys, who seem determined to undermine the USA. Start with Trump. He states that the election is rigged, and that he cannot get a fair trial from a judge who is Hispanic. (I am ignoring all his other insults put downs etc. I am focusing solely on his attacks on the US). Next in line we have Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich. In fact they should really be on a double act comedy hour, like Laurel and Hardy. Giuliani & Gingrich. They are wonders to behold on their wanton support of Trump (that’s fair game as it stands), but when they support some of the utter dribble that Trump says , (see above), they too are damaging the US. They also take being a sycophant to whole new level. But that’s between them and their god. Then there is the cynical crowd from Fox News. Primarily, the I-am-none-to-bright Hannity. By constantly asking soft-ball questions he is doing his audience no favours. The echo chamber of disinformation continues. But he knows this, and doesn’t care. Finally there are the “standbyers.” Paul Ryan being the top dog here. If he truly, deeply cared about his country, he would resign from the speakership, say he cannot support Trump for any reason he may see fit and prove to the country that decent men will still put country first. Finally, finally. The Clintons. What I don’t and never will understand is the following….You know everything you do is going to be viewed under a microscope. Fairly or not. You know you plan on running for president. You know that the Clinton Foundation could be seen as a major attribute to rehabilitate your name, therefore make it as transparent as possible. But instead it is such a beacon of secrecy that even your daughter Chelsea seems to have worries about it. So, there are issues everywhere. The loud men talk. The silent remain silent. Where is a real, loud voice of reason? A true patriot.
↧