A Nasty Analogy
Some 70 years ago a short guy with a funny mustache led his country-men to believe they had a divine-like mission to save the World. His recipe was quite logical: there is a certain group of people who have the best genes and morals, and it is in interest of the World now and in the future to give this group space so their great qualities can spread. With this good motivation they saw themselves entitled to occupy other countries, teaching the people there the good news of a golden age for humanity, and cleaning out elements that were inhibiting freedom and progress. The policy had the nice side effect of creating lotsa new jobs and a thriving economy.
OK, I have to admit, comparing anyone to der Führer is not cool, but the striking points of contact in my following analogy may give a clue to what a perversion of Americas patriotism could look like. National Socialist Germany had a sense of a higher calling mixed with self interest. As do the US. To Germany, Social Darwinism—breeding the best fit men—was the gospel. To America it is Democracy. America attempts to rid the world of terrorists, Germans went after Jews and Gypsies.
Just to make it clear: I believe America is fighting for a good cause and Germany had an evil ideology. But I think it is important to remember that most German Nazis were normal people who believed their ideology was good and they were willing to die for it.
And this is the point where I find it fair to compare America’s patriotism with Germany’s extreme nationalism: there is a sense of entitlement to use excessive force against other countries and groups to achieve one’s goals.
Part of America’s ethos in international relations is grounded in the old myth of Manifest Destiny. While I doubt the validity of this myth I respect that this gives rise to a noble motivations of improving the World. This motivation is unfortunately mixed with a motive of maintaining the prosperity and power of America. Thirdly, the US international policy is concerned with National Security. In their zeal to ensure national security the US under Bush has reinterpreted, broken or avoided to ratify international treaties to be free to go to war and beat the truth out prisoners.
When both Presidential candidates are outraged by Russian aggression against Georgia, this is not just because Russia is bothering the Georgian people. No, Georgia is a strategically important ally to the US because of the oil that flows through the country and because of its vicinity to a number of America’s enemies.
I think USA is a great country that is worth fighting for. But as Christians, what means can we accept that our politicians use to 1) help the world become a better place, 2) maintain and increase our prosperity and power, and 3) protect national security?
December 12, 2008 at 11:45 am
I think we need to also ask the question: What means are we (not just our politicians) willing to take toward those same ends. The issue that initiates such a question is this: I wonder, if the language used by our politicians made more blatant the second of those concerns, would there policy receive as much by-in from those who support them? Do we as a nation actually recognize what our politicians are up to? And if so – do we look the other way because its easier to let someone else do the dirty work, or do we speak out against it? The thing that I struggle with is the idea of blaming our leaders when, truth be told, we as a people simply would not elect a politician who declared: “Let us as a country live out Jesus’ words – the first shall be last!”