Citizens of The World...and Patriots

Mystic Melange's "On Patriotism" is a well-thought out essay. It makes a great case for not affording patriotism to Trinidad and Tobago, a fairly new nation which only achieved independence from colonial rule in 1962, 46-odd years ago. I am in full agreement with her reasons to not exhibit patriotism , towards Trinidad and Tobago ,in its currently bourgie-practiced form.

However, this essay does NOT make any case whatsoever for choosing the United States of America as a target for her-- or any Trini's-- patriotic energies. The USA is a very old nation which achieved independence from colonial rule hundreds of years ago, and is not necessarily evolving towards a true fruition of its core ideals-- life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness-- but is rather, according to some, truly devolving from it.

There are too many instances in which the United States of America has betrayed the viewpoint and spirit of its Founding Fathers, and thereby, the well-being of not only the world but itself, for me to enumerate here, even as under-informed as I am. But I can cite one:

The separation of Church and State -- something which US policymakers insist many Islamic countries ought to achieve so that they can run their countries properly-- is under continual pressure in US politics. So says Richard Dawkins, atheist author of The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion, in the latter book.

According to Dawkins, increasingly frequent calls by many Christians for legislation against homosexuality, common-law relationships, and abortion, as well as prejudicial attitudes against Islam (imagine if Barack had been a Muslim), show them to be increasingly ignorant of the words of the Tripoli Treaty of 1797, the year the British took over Trinidad and Tobago:

"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Musselmen; and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries." (bold mine)

Also consider the growing freedom to promote intolerance in (of all places) the United States of America: "In 2004 James Nixon, a twelve year old boy in Ohio, won the right in court to wear a T-shirt to school bearing the words 'Homosexuality is a sin, Islam is a lie, abortion is murder. Some issues are just black and white!' The school told him not to wear the T-shirt-- and the boy's parents sued the school...Their victorious lawsuit was supported by the Alliance Defense Fund of Arizona, whose business it is to 'press the legal battle for religious freedom'."


What I do not understand is why Mystic Melange and others seem to believe that exchanging one hypocritical and decaying society for another larger one is a sort of pseudo-sacrificial virtue worthy of defense. Let me be clear: Trinidad and Tobago is not a land I am currently proud of, even though I too, take pleasure in parang, bake and shark, Shadow, Machel and 3Canal. But by the same token of rational and objective analysis of pros against cons, especially in the practice of principles which benefit the human being, neither is the United States of America a land of which I am proud.

I would far sooner pledge allegience with the one mouth that God gave me to Canada or Switzerland, for at least they do not bandy about grand phrases like "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" without truly understanding how universally valuable these things are to the rest of the world or to the rest of their citizens homosexual, atheist, or the like, whatever the US political interests may be therein.

At the very least, they do not encourage complacency among their people towards persons of the outside world. How much has the Canadian Gender Equity Fund done in countries around the world? What is their equivalent in the United States? How many refugees has Switzerland taken in per world conflict since 1939? Do they have an equivalent in the United States?

Has Mystic Melange really studied these things before deciding, common-American-style, that the easiest way is the best, and that it is moral to pledge your allegiance and energy to a country which for all intents and purposes is the biggest political and moral whore the history of mankind has seen given its original closeness to a commitment to the best within man and the best intentions of men for man?

I wish you the best on your journey to truth.