Embarrassed Patriots

A liberal professor takes to task those on the left who are ashamed to be Americans:

The United States is living in a state of emergency, one that has developed into an intellectual crisis in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Columbia University journalism and sociology professor Todd Gitlin said Tuesday at a Davenport College Master's Tea.Gitlin spoke to a group of approximately 20 students about his recently released book, "The Intellectuals and the Flag," which discusses what he characterized as the political left's strategic failure in addressing contemporary national issues. He elaborated on his feeling of frustration concerning what he views as liberals' voluntary estrangement from the rest of the nation, citing their alleged rejection of patriotism as an example of this alienation."I think that the upshot is that patriotism is experienced by many people on the left as something of an embarrassment," Gitlin said.

The left sees itself as standing outside a country that does bad," Gitlin said. "However, it is strategically disastrous to take this position as outsiders, since it is a concession to people who are not entitled to be the spokespersons of patriotism. It is a move against public life, public domain, public virtue and public-mindedness."

I think the left, and very many Democrats have abondoned patriotism beginning in the 1960's when they fell for the idea that America is what's wrong with the world today.

Many thanks to Opinion Journal!