It’s Time To Think Differently About Patriotism

America, more than most democracies, thinks highly of itself. We assign the beloved American Dream to our national heroes, and we are imprinted with American Exceptionalism from a young age. We idolize the flag, the founding fathers, and the troops.

One thing that stands out from the past couple months of social unrest: patriotism may not be the default mode for everyone now. Young people in particular, many of whom absorb social justice content on Tik Tok and Instagram, are seeing the country’s deep-rooted flaws laid bare in a blitz of cancellations, protests, and corporate changes.

In a polarized country, the way one thinks about America is the latest and clearest divide. Donald Trump’s supporters put “Patriot” in their Twitter bios and line their posts with American flag emojis. Those in opposition balk at the idea of promoting a country with injustices that pervade so deeply.

It is not hard to see why Trump’s supporters (and the president himself) rely so heavily on flag imagery and nationalism: this country that they love so much has worked for them more than it has for other people. They know that, and it is the core of their political beliefs. The MAGA slogan, with its expressed desire to return to a glorious America of yore, encapsulates this mindset perfectly. It’s a thinly veiled way of saying they…