OPINION | What Does Loving Your Country Look Like?

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Since Nationwide Day has simply handed, I assumed it could be worthwhile to speak concerning the subject of patriotism or the love of 1’s nation.

In case you take a look at the rise of hard-right snake oil salesmen which have been popping up all over within the final half-decade, you’ll realise that we live in a time when the time period “patriotism” has been sorely abused.

Patriotism or love of the state has all the time been a advantage for so long as people have organised themselves into societies. In case you take a look at who turns into a hero, you’ll discover it’s inevitably been individuals who have sacrificed their individuality and even their lives for the remainder of us.

We consider the perfect as set out by the late President John F Kennedy who instructed the younger of his period, “Ask not what your nation has executed for you however what you are able to do on your nation.”

Whereas many people grew up inspired to develop “patriotic” beliefs, there was a pattern towards abusing the perfect of patriotism. This abuse is finest summed up by former US President George W Bush when he mentioned, “You’re both with us or in opposition to us.”

This turned most pronounced in the course of the Trump Presidency when everybody was both cheering in delusion or foaming within the mouth at any time when his identify was talked about.

As all the time, while America and the remainder of the Western World get caught in a debate on personalities, Singapore practices a extra refined however most likely simpler type of abusing patriotism.

Essentially the most seen instance is over the talk on the dying penalty. The activists make one constant tactical error, which is to put in writing to the remainder of the world about Singapore hanging folks. Take a look at the final incident when Sir Richard Branson bought concerned in airing his views on the dying penalty.

It’s a tactical error as a result of the federal government inevitably strikes the dialogue away from the dying penalty and the chap ready on the gallows to a query of “outsiders versus Singapore,” and instantly anybody who’s anti-death penalty will get labelled as “anti-Singaporean.”

Therefore, the man’s destiny is inevitably sealed as a result of, nicely, it’s not about regardless of the man was carrying however Singapore standing as much as the remainder of the world on a sure political place.

As talked about in my earlier posting, patriotism is an emotion, and when an emotion is stirred up, logic and rationality exit the window.

I consider the 2005 hanging of Van Tuong Nguyen, an Australian citizen who was caught carrying medication. There was a whole lot of diplomatic noise, and an Australian politician talked about one thing about banning SQ from Australian airports.

Talking as somebody who sees himself as educated within the West and rational, my intuition was – we must always not solely dangle the man however be sure that the Australian Excessive Commissioner witnessed the occasion.

The emotion of sticking the center finger on the “imperialist” bully after we try to use our legal guidelines was sturdy sufficient to beat no matter emotions I might need had in the direction of the dying penalty.

This isn’t the one instance of how the talk has shifted from being about points to being about “us-versus-them.” It has grow to be all too simple to label anybody who disagrees with you as “unpatriotic.” Patriotism is the blanket used to suppress disagreement.

Nevertheless, as anybody who has had youngsters will let you know, like and love don’t go hand in hand. As I’ve mentioned to my child on just a few events, “I’ll all the time love you, however I don’t like sure issues that you simply do or consider in.”

What’s true of parenting can also be true of patriotism. I don’t essentially like every little thing that goes on in Singapore, and I write a weblog about it quite a bit. Nevertheless, that doesn’t imply that I shouldn’t have a love for my nation, which for the document is the one nation on the planet that I’ve a authorized obligation to defend.

Singapore is my residence, and it’s the place the place I’ve been making an attempt to boost a household. There are the reason why I selected to do it right here and never elsewhere. Nevertheless, in relation to the issues that I don’t like concerning the place, I specific myself and hope that someday somebody with the capabilities of bringing about change will do it and make it a greater place.

I don’t assume this sense is exclusive to me. There are, as they are saying, distinctions between Singapore the nation and the Singapore authorities. There are distinctions between disagreeing with sure issues and eager to destroy them.

We have to bear in mind this after we take a look at folks like opposition politicians and activists for sure causes. Simply because we don’t agree with them on a regular basis, it doesn’t imply that they’re much less patriotic than the remainder of us.

This was some extent that was mockingly introduced residence to me by a younger man who was lively within the PAP grassroots. He was speaking about Dr Chee, who has been a proverbial punch bag for the powers that be. His argument was that while you take a look at Dr Chee and all that he has endured, it’s a miracle that he stays and stays lively within the political sphere. This can be a man who may simply have packed his luggage and moved elsewhere to make a extra snug residing. He has no motive to remain and just like the place. But he stays as a result of he should clearly consider he’s bought one thing to contribute.

We have to bear in mind this. Individuals who love the nation shouldn’t have to love every little thing about it. People who find themselves vital will not be essentially in opposition to the system, however hoping to make it work for them. Not everybody generally is a superscale wage earner, however most of us must reside right here and make it work for us.

If we keep in mind that disagreement is just not unpatriotic, we will sit down and focus on methods to make issues higher for everybody. Nevertheless, we will solely do this when the folks we disagree with really feel assured sufficient that they received’t be labelled “unpatriotic” for holding completely different views.

A model of this text first appeared at beautifullyincoherent.blogspot.com

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