Loyalty

Submitted by Dean (United States), Oct 18, 2006 at 11:16

You say that the idea of loyality has changed, and you are right.

But let us not forget that Neo-cons like Ben Wattenberg and others, who reduce citizenship to ideological agreement with Liberalism (in the classical sense), have added to the destruction of this loyality. When neo-cons are talking in terms of "humanity" rather than American interest and talk about America being the first "international country", do not be shocked if other Americans believe in one humanity and have a take on what they think is humanities interest (in a strange way, just like the neo-cons with their ideas of spreading democracy for the good of man) and turn their backs on "America's interest" and loyality to the country.

The problem is this: Neo-cons want citizens to be ideological soulmates, rather than rooted citizens, in the classical sense. Like the left they have, therefore, undone that classical sense of citizen being rooted to a community, infavor of ideological fellow-traveling. And at this level, that of an abstract ideology which knows no borders, blood or soil, the left with its pacifism always wins.

The great majority of people - and here Lenin was right - will only fight in their security is dirrectly threatened. Short of this, ideology is the only reason to fight, and this will only have a select vangaurd of fighters. In such a situation, is it any wonder that the Left vangaurd's appeal to pacifism always trumps neo-con "get tough policy".

If there was a conservative movement rooted in the old nationism, loyalty would be untouched and we would see patriotism. And if there would have been a hesitation to go into Iraq, we would have a country unwilling to cut and run. But the left and the neocons on the right (since the neocons took over the conservative movement) have destroyed nationalism, patriotism, and loyalty.

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