R. Lee Wrights, editor of Liberty For All on What's Wrong With Patriotism?:
For too many people the answer to the question, "What is wrong with patriotism," is simple and easy. They will merely say, "Nothing is wrong with patriotism" and then dare anyone to disagree. To them the question is the same as asking, "What is wrong with loyalty," or, "What is wrong with baseball and Mom's apple pie?" They falsely see the question as a decision to be made between standing up for America in all her glory or supporting her enemies du jour. Well beloved readers, it just is not that simple. There are some serious flaws in the kind of patriotism expressed by Mr. Shepard in his letter to the editor.
By way of clarification let me say that I think patriotism is not only acceptable, but also noble in its proper constraints. Being an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Air Force, I consider myself to be a patriot of the highest measure. I do not only talk the talk but I have walked the walk. Love for one's country is the driving force behind any progressive society not to be taken lightly by any means. However, just like anything else in life when carried too far, patriotism becomes detrimental to individual freedom and has caused more atrocities to be justified than any other emotion known to mankind.
Wrights goes on to make the same point I've been making here, that being a patriot does not equate with blind obedience to the dictates of whichever fiend happened to win the latest national popularity contest. Read his editorial, he's dead-on and the chickenhawks be damned.
Nationalism is not patriotism, sorry guys.