Reflections on the "New American" Revolution
Friday, May 28, 2004
The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: To Tell the Truth: "why did the press credit Mr. Bush with virtues that reporters knew he didn't possess? One answer is misplaced patriotism. After 9/11 much of the press seemed to reach a collective decision that it was necessary, in the interests of national unity, to suppress criticism of the commander in chief."
Misplaced patriotism? This is an important point, but it doesn't go far enough.
The problem is misplaced love. The right wing zealots who claim to be the only people who love their country, use their love for partisan ends. In other words, they love something other than their country: an ideal. Their country is made up of people whom they would love, if they really loved their country. But they don't. They hate the liberals and left. They hate at least 50%. So what kind of love is that. It's not love. It's not patriotism. It is sectarian, it is partisan.
The great saint and theologian Thomas Aquinas said that misplaced love is evil. Curious how those who are so quick to label others as 'evil-doers' could be accused of such a misplaced love themselves!
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