Customer Reviews

Making Patriots

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In his short collection of essays, Walter Berns explores the history of patriotism and identifies why it has achieved such a unique plateau here in the United States. Occasionally, bordering on the esoteric due to its advanced discussion of ancient Sparta and more-than-passing mentions of some other abstruse historical topics, certain sections of the treatise may overwhelm some readers. Still those who must plod through the first few chapters will be handsomely rewarded with the book's later essays. The testimonials to Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas alone make it a beneficial read. In these two sections, Bern's ideas illuminate and his prose soars. Of our 16th president he rhapsodically ponders, "what Lincoln did at Gettysburg was to create new mystic chords, stretching from a new battlefield to new graves, to our hearts and hearthstones, all over this broad land, South as well as North, reminding us of the cause written in our book, the Declaration of Independence."

Analyzing Frederick Douglas' life and the impact he left behind, Mr. Berns offers some notions that defy longstanding, putative preconceptions. Mr. Douglas, himself rattles the established elite thinking when he is quoted as saying, "the federal Government was never in its essence anything but anti-slavery...If in its origin, slavery had any relation to the government, it was only as the scaffolding to the magnificent structure, to be removed as soon as the building was completed." Mr. Berns may not employ such majestic imagery but is nearly as profound when he deftly delves into present day race relations. Contrasting today`s military with modern college life, he challengingly notes that "enlisted men--blacks and whites--live in the same barracks, eat in the same mess halls, and although not required, frequently at the same table--something rarely encountered in universities." Interestingly, interracial harmony is found in the one environment where everyone is treated as an individual, while the debatably well intentioned "diversity" dictates of the other often lead to an unspoken, rigid separatism.

The final chapter, "The Patriot's Flag" presents genuinely stimulating insights on the First Amendment--so skillfully abused over the past fifty years. The very term "speech" has somehow been contorted into meaning a hodgepodge of nonverbal activities. Mr. Berns thoroughly appraises the Supreme Court's outrageous decision legalizing flag burning and successfully shows the sophistry of its ruling. Supporters of this spurious ruling may bristle when he writes "the First Amendment protects freedom of speech not expression, and whereas all speech may be expression, not all expression is speech" because his reasoning is as sublime as it is succinct. He suggests that spray painting graffiti on the Lincoln Memorial is not likely to be allowed under a torturous stretch of freedom of speech and wisely concludes, "there is something about the memorial that forbids its desecration, and because it, too causes us to remember, the same ought to be true of the flag."

At times his arguments become a trifle too abstract and the book's pace may hesitate occasionally, but several nuggets of wisdom can be gleaned from these pages. It sets forth many concepts that every Americans should contemplate, and it summons us all to evaluate whether or not we are taking our American birthright for granted.

This small book reminds me so clearly of my public education in the 1950's and '60's when God and country were so seamlessly integrated into the curricula of our schools that it would have been unnatural to think otherwise (though how quickly, it seems, those thoughts did turn in the mid-to-late '60's). Dr. Berns' thoughtful essay outlines clearly and persuasivley the case for reintegrating patriotism (not jingoism) back into American society and education. Required reading, filled with wonderful anecdotes, quotes and references.

There are some excellent parts to this book--primarily those related to free speech and the normal trappings of America's patriotic heritage. The term "patriotism," to connote love of country, loyalty, and the willingness to advance a common good, has almost always been a constructive force in any nation's growth and stability. Consequently it is a subject well worth out study and our best efforts to keep it in place as a constructive force.

"Patriotism" should not be denigrated just because it has on occasion been twisted into extreme forms of nationalism that can be evil, as in the extreme case of Hitler's Germany. Nor should it be used to justify expansionism. But practiced as support of one's country and as supportive compassion for fellow citizens, it is an essential formative asset to a nation's good character

The reviewer who gave the book one star makes some good points but does seem obsessed with the erroneous belief that patriotic Republicans and industrialists got us into the two World Wars and Vietnam under the guise of patriotism--and that therefore patriotism is bad: "Neo-cons and their flunkies . . . do not like reviews like this because they strip away the myths that are their bread and butter. (Heaven only knows what they would do without their foundations and corporate-funded academic chairs.) As they seek at virtually all costs to delude Americans into fighting for Mom and apple pie . . . "

That reviewer obviously,(and delibeartely?) misses the huge point that it was 5 Democratic presidents that mobilized the nation for all such foreign adventures--Wilson, FDR, JFK, Johnson and Truman. And he also curiously misses the point that the major Foundations and academic chairs in academia are all anti-Republican, pro Democratic, and represent the fanatic liberal Left's love of internationalism and who are most enthralled with World Organizations and International activities. The "isolationmists" who opposed entry into the two World Wars were Republicans-conservatives.

And as for profit motive, America's industries were more interested in supplying foreign combatants with goods, than entering the Wars. It was primarily Wilsons intellectual dream of world government and "making the world safe for democracy" that motivated his ill-advised actions. If Wilson had been motivated by true patriotism he would have spared his countrymen the agony of the War!

Patriotism as a love for one's country and its established foundations has little to do with internationalism. The Monroe Doctrine that dictated no foreign entanglements prevailed for 140 years before the Princeton liberal intellectual Woodrow Wilson got millions of our people killed and entangled us in world organizations. Our huge national debt, up to the late 1960's in the time of Johnson's "Great Society" programs, was almost exclusively caused by these foreign engagements. Adding to the burden all Americans must share by running huge deficits can not be called a patriotic action.

The chief criticism of Bern's book should be simply that he dragged in our need to fight in these foreign conflicts as somehow related to patriotism. I suppose the fact that Americans were able to be led to such sacrifice was dependent on their patriotism, but the fault lay not in patriotism itself, but the Democratic leaders who used it to manipulate us into needless sacrifices in the hunt for their internationalist fantasies.

In short, a good patriot might fight fiercely for Mom's apple pie, a balanced budget, and good schools, but strongly COMMON GENIUS: Guts, Grit, and Common Sense: How Ordinary People Create Prosperous Societies and How Intellectuals Make Them Collapsedesist from interfering in other nation's squabbles!

I found this book to be a quick read and worth my time. I wouldn't pay more than $10 for it but that's another matter. My favorite Chapter was Patriotic Flag which raises good points and arguments revolving around the flag and why burning it, etc, is not freedom of speech.

At times you might think the book is about how being a Patriot is all about reading Lincoln' speeches but it does make one think about what being "Patriotic" really means and how citizens can be molded into Patriots. It also gives clear examples of how we as a nation are moving away from making Patriots.

All in all I would recommend this book because the subject matter is interesting and the points made are expressed clearly.

This slim little book answers some of the questions that have been raised since September 11 (although the book was published some 4 or so months prior to the attacks): for example, what is patriotism? how do we inculcate it in our youth? Berns's answer is one tempered with reason and logic, and he seems to posit--not without good cause--that patriotism must be taught in our schools. As the previous reviewer said, patriotism--rightly defined, as Berns approaches it--is not jingoism. In fact, he is quite critical (a little too much, in my opinion) of that famed patriot Stephen Decatur's aphorism "my country right or wrong." Moreover, to those who would question America's role in the world, to those who think we are a force for evil, Berns urges them to think of victory in World War II and an end to communism (at least as far as the USSR goes)--how could those battles have been won without the US. His brief discussion of the notion of being un-American is particularly insightful; for example, that has a meaning all its own--one never says something is "un-French" or "un-British." It is, indeed, right, honorable, justified, and expected that we love our country. Some folks in the media and academia would profit from reading this great little work.

The young men in America today seem much more concerned with baggy trousers, doing things with girls, Japanese automobiles, and crunchy snack food. This is all fine and dandy until your country needs your service and possibly your life to promote global democracy abroad.

Now what?

As a man of nearly 40 I wondered to myself "How can I get these kids to stop playing music so loud and ship them overseas without actually confronting them directly?" Well....Walter Berns has the answer. They need to be inspired by people like Abraham Lincoln, so that they may serve our nation, serve our ideals, and stop making so much noise and wear pants that fit properly (he doesn't discuss there noisy music or their pants..thats me..so help me the day I never see another 16 year old flaunting his boxer shorts again cannot come fast enough).

The important thing here is to read this book and get the youth of America out and doing something productive like dying for the ideas of old men who work for think tanks.

This is an excellent book that explains the need for patriots. It traces the concept of patriotism from Sparta throught the Founding to current times.

Of particular interest is its discuss of why Frederick Douglass felt that before a black man could become a citizen, he should first serve as a soldier.

It discusses why the Founders realized the critical need for patriots, while at the same time not holding out much hope for such people.

I strongly recommend this book, especially in light of current events.

It's hard to believe that so timely and appropriate a book could arrive in the face of the horrors of September 11. Rather than offer my own pithy praise, let me quote Senator John McCain from the book's dustjacket:

"Making Patriots is an extremely timely and important work. Walter Berns brilliantly and gracefully explains how our nation's future depends upon the patriot's understanding that freedom must serve the great cause of 'government of, by and for the people' and not only our own individual interests. Though patriotism, as Berns shows, may require sacrifice, it enlarges our hearts and minds, and forms a great and necessary bond among ourselves and with generations past and future."

I hope people will pardon my offering this quote rather than my own. It's just that he--and this book--offers a sentiment that is so right for our time. I wanted other readers considering the book to know that it's been so highly regarded by one of America's true and well-known patriots.