Patriotism
Reinhold Niebuhr writes (added emphasis):
... [T]he nation is a corporate unity, held together much more by force and emotion, than by mind. Since there can be no ethical action without self-criticism, and no self-criticism without the rational capacity of self-transcendence, it is natural that national attitudes can hardly approximate the ethical... So nations crucify their moral rebels with their criminals upon the same Golgotha, not being able to distinguish between the moral idealism ... and anti-social conduct...
While reading this paragraph, I realized how popular these days the criticism of liberals as being non-patriotic in both Russia and United States. No wonder that actions of both countries are often viewed as non-ethical by the rest of the world. In other words, the more widespread accusations of non-patriotism in the country, the less ethical actions of the country as the whole are.
... [T]he nation is a corporate unity, held together much more by force and emotion, than by mind. Since there can be no ethical action without self-criticism, and no self-criticism without the rational capacity of self-transcendence, it is natural that national attitudes can hardly approximate the ethical... So nations crucify their moral rebels with their criminals upon the same Golgotha, not being able to distinguish between the moral idealism ... and anti-social conduct...
While reading this paragraph, I realized how popular these days the criticism of liberals as being non-patriotic in both Russia and United States. No wonder that actions of both countries are often viewed as non-ethical by the rest of the world. In other words, the more widespread accusations of non-patriotism in the country, the less ethical actions of the country as the whole are.