Disagree. At first I'd never presume what someone "actually" means. This article is nothing but conjecture on both sides. Waste of a read. But it is America and everyone free to have opinion.. Though that's challenged these days.
This is indeed an interesting post, and I agree that the Patriotism of the American Right-wing is deeply flawed. Although, wouldn't you consider our own Patriotism to be similar to the Right's? The Right's Patriotism, as you yourself elucidated, is based on a dishonest depiction of America as a Christian society based on Conservative philosophy, whereas our Patriotism is based on a more honest understanding of America as a Liberal society centered around ideas of liberty.
America doesn't fully fit either of those bills. Enough American politicians are non-Christian (Bernie Sanders is Jewish, Tulsi Gabbard is Hindu, Ilhan Omar is Muslim, etc.) that it is not a wholly Christian society. On the other hand, America has totally betrayed its roots as a Liberal democracy, considering the acts of Trump, Bush, McConnell, et al.
Therefore, the Right will support any actions taken to actualize their conception of America. We will support any action to further actualize our understanding of America and American society. Neither we not the Right are Patriotic towards what America is, but what it should be (or think it should be, in the Right-wing's case.) Neither of us love what America is.
It's worth noting that the Biden presidency is also getting savvier with the mainstream press' "return-to-bad-faith" form. The distinction Biden drew--and I'm sure his team planned that bit of linguistic jiu-jitsu ahead of time--between "unity" and "bipartisanship" artfully illustrated how one can reach right past both Republican-lite enablers in the press (looking at you, Michael Shear) and Republicans reps to speak directly to voters--including non-Biden independents and Republicans seeking COVID and unemployment relief. As long as the Biden team can keep up this barrage of "re-frames," it should perform well, whether it's recasting Republicans as sore losers and weak-kneed whiners (see under Josh Hawley) or Democrats as the true law-and-order party (see under vigorous prosecution of seditionists) and the true tough-on-defense party (see under Biden phone call to Putin [but please, no more forever wars!]).
The next battle that will need to be fought--and it will be a tough one--is to keep corporate donors at proper arm's length and delivering real relief and muscle to American workers. Fortunately, the Biden administration appears to be moving in that direction. Firing Robb from the NLRB, signing the executive order to strengthen Buy American provisions (and not buy American paint jobs on Chinese products), and other pro-worker moves could play exceedingly well in redder parts of the midwest and reinforce the midwestern blue wall. No paying lip service to one of the most powerful GOTV constituencies in order to appease Wall Street tycoons, obeisance to whom has come to pay fewer and fewer dividends. I'll even go out on a limb and suggest that some degree of economic populism is still a baseline requirement and expectation from a Democratic president and that taking economic policy advice from the Larry Summers of this world is just more bad public policy and kowtowing to the financier class.
Disagree. At first I'd never presume what someone "actually" means. This article is nothing but conjecture on both sides. Waste of a read. But it is America and everyone free to have opinion.. Though that's challenged these days.
This is indeed an interesting post, and I agree that the Patriotism of the American Right-wing is deeply flawed. Although, wouldn't you consider our own Patriotism to be similar to the Right's? The Right's Patriotism, as you yourself elucidated, is based on a dishonest depiction of America as a Christian society based on Conservative philosophy, whereas our Patriotism is based on a more honest understanding of America as a Liberal society centered around ideas of liberty.
America doesn't fully fit either of those bills. Enough American politicians are non-Christian (Bernie Sanders is Jewish, Tulsi Gabbard is Hindu, Ilhan Omar is Muslim, etc.) that it is not a wholly Christian society. On the other hand, America has totally betrayed its roots as a Liberal democracy, considering the acts of Trump, Bush, McConnell, et al.
Therefore, the Right will support any actions taken to actualize their conception of America. We will support any action to further actualize our understanding of America and American society. Neither we not the Right are Patriotic towards what America is, but what it should be (or think it should be, in the Right-wing's case.) Neither of us love what America is.
This is a great response, Dominic. I think you're right. For me, I love what America is, warts and all, but I love what it can be more.
What you're writing here seems true to me because it is in fact true. Thanks John.
It's worth noting that the Biden presidency is also getting savvier with the mainstream press' "return-to-bad-faith" form. The distinction Biden drew--and I'm sure his team planned that bit of linguistic jiu-jitsu ahead of time--between "unity" and "bipartisanship" artfully illustrated how one can reach right past both Republican-lite enablers in the press (looking at you, Michael Shear) and Republicans reps to speak directly to voters--including non-Biden independents and Republicans seeking COVID and unemployment relief. As long as the Biden team can keep up this barrage of "re-frames," it should perform well, whether it's recasting Republicans as sore losers and weak-kneed whiners (see under Josh Hawley) or Democrats as the true law-and-order party (see under vigorous prosecution of seditionists) and the true tough-on-defense party (see under Biden phone call to Putin [but please, no more forever wars!]).
The next battle that will need to be fought--and it will be a tough one--is to keep corporate donors at proper arm's length and delivering real relief and muscle to American workers. Fortunately, the Biden administration appears to be moving in that direction. Firing Robb from the NLRB, signing the executive order to strengthen Buy American provisions (and not buy American paint jobs on Chinese products), and other pro-worker moves could play exceedingly well in redder parts of the midwest and reinforce the midwestern blue wall. No paying lip service to one of the most powerful GOTV constituencies in order to appease Wall Street tycoons, obeisance to whom has come to pay fewer and fewer dividends. I'll even go out on a limb and suggest that some degree of economic populism is still a baseline requirement and expectation from a Democratic president and that taking economic policy advice from the Larry Summers of this world is just more bad public policy and kowtowing to the financier class.
I don't see how ignoring Summers is anything but a good thing. Thanks, Bennett!