Patriot Games
By Sean at 26 August, 2007, 5:52 pm
Patriotism. A vexing word. To some it symbolizes the emotional adulation of the state; to others it is nothing more than a politically correct nationalism where love for the state is conflated with love for the nation. Still, its power to inflame the emotions of a citizenry can’t be denied. It can be linked with any political, economic, or social system. All that is required, it seems, is a nation-state that portends to stand for the people as a whole, and by virtue of some ideological trickery, the people’s belief that they stand for it.
As Sergei Minaev notes in Kommersant Vlast’, patriotism seems to be on every leader’s lips and its meaning tends to be only illuminated through the the Other. “We are not like people in other countries, and we are proud of this.” “Assurances of a firm resolve to assert national interests at any cost and defend the country’s way of life from interference from other countries plays a central role in leaders’ speeches.” Ironically, what gives patriotism’s force to create unity within is done by excoriating those from without. As Hegel instructed, the identity of oneself is constituted through, not in spite of, the Other.
But patriotism is not something that is allowed to flow freely. Its meaning, application, and expression is very much controlled by what Althusser called the “ideological state apparatuses”. Through their ritualization–which can be as simple and innocuous as displaying a flag, saying a pledge of allegiance, or standing to the national anthem at a sports event–patriotism not only becomes instilled as a political-ideological idea, but bores into the very heart of our emotional being. Therefore the desecration of a national symbol becomes more than an ideological offense; it is also an affront to our emotions. Patriotism is one site where the ideological becomes truly affective.
But patriotism’s political strength doesn’t simply lie in some timeless concept. It’s power is in how it’s deployed by the leader. As Kommersant Vlast’ notes, patriotism is at the heart of Putin’s understanding of the Russian state. His concept has no particular roots in one ideology or personality (To show how indistinguishable the patriotic idea can be across ideological, cultural and national divides, Kommersant has even provided a test for you to match world leaders with their patriotic quotes). In fact, how patriotism is positioned in Putin’s rhetoric aligns him with a whole litany of world leaders, past and present.
According to Shamil Idiatullin, like Mussolini and Churchill, Putin is convinced of patriotism’s unifying role. Like Hitler and Nehru, Putin thinks that patriotism’s historical significance is to improve the lives of his countrymen. Like Shinzo Abe and John F. Kennedy, Putin thinks that the essential part of patriotism is the love for one’s neighbor and the readiness to care, defend and admonish him. Like Castro and Hugo Chavez, Putin feels that patriotism is a factor not just in economic development, but in economic survival. And like Musharraf and Stalin, Putin sees the ability to sway one’s enemies only strengthens confidence in oneself.
Unity, improvement, community, prosperity, and influence. These five words sum up Putin’s vision of the modern Russian state. A vision where people’s emotional attachment to the state has a direct connection to the state’s positive expression of power. Is there any better way to capture the essence of his doctrine of sovereign democracy?
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May I comment that the original idea for the term ‘Patriot Game’ comes from the Irish Republican song by Dominic Behan
“They told me how Connolly was shot in his chair,
His wounds from the fighting all bloody and bare.
His fine body twisted, all battered and lame
They soon made me part of the patriot game.
It’s nearly two years since I wandered away
With the local battalion of the bold IRA,
For I read of our heroes, and wanted the same
To play out my part in the patriot game. ”
I like this blog a great deal and would like to invite your readers in Russia and elsewhere to view my blog ‘An Unrepentant Communist’ http://unrepentantcommunist.blogspot.com/
Greetings to you all from County Kerry in Ireland!
Russian patriotism as such doesn’t significantly differ from what’s found elsewhere. At negative issue for some is that Russian patriotism is Russian and not some other patriotism.
Elements of Polish patriotism found among some:
Feeling of being wrongfully suppressed and having never really done such to others. The idea that Poland knows best how to deal with Russia’s faults as seen by many Poles.
Elements of the Ukrainian patriotism typically found among many in Galicia:
Having been kept apart from Russia for a longer period than other areas of Ukraine, Western Ukraine, with Galicia leading the way, is the best representatives for expressing Ukrainian national identity.
Related points since these two factors often play lead roles in Eng. lang. mass media discussions dealing with Russia. Often missing from those discussions is a critical review of what makes those two referenced views tick. A classic example of how Russia is put under the microscope unlike others.