Word of the day: Jingoism

Pictured is Soviet Premier Kruschev, beating his shoe on the podium while speaking to the UN, promising to crush the capitalistic west. "Vee Vill Krrush You!"

People who think God works in mysterious ways have not been introduced to my mind. By comparison, God is an open book. My mind is about as random and bizarre as anything you could ever encounter, supreme being or otherwise. I was sitting around wondering what I could blog about, and the word "Jingoism" popped into my head.

Jingoism is defined as "extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign policy."

I don't know if I have ever actually used this word. And I'm sure I have not heard it for months, even with all the political commentary I absorb. But you have to admit, it is a cool word.

Using it in a blog will forever commit it to my vocabulary for daily use. (I know my co-workers are really excited about that!)

Since I studied Poli Sci in college, I have rolled my eyes at the somewhat obnoxious sense of superiority some Americans walk around with. "America is the best country in the world!" I always wondered, "at what?"

We are best at basketball (usually).

We have the biggest military by a very large margin (which to other countries probably make us the scariest, even if they don't think we are the "best.")

We still have a larger economy that any other country, though that is not the case if you compare our economy to that of the European Union.

We have more than 40 million people here who do not get adequate health care because they do not have health insurance. According to a recent study, 45,000 American deaths every year are linked to lack of adequate health care.

We have some states with infant mortality rates comparable to lesser developed countries.

We have crazy people walking around with legally purchased guns with legally purchased clips that shoot 30 rounds before reloading. And they use the guns to kill and maim innocent people. Lots of them.

We have exploding debt because we want the government to serve us, but we don't want to pay for it, and because the former Jingoistic administration attacked a country that did not attack us and posed no threat to us or our allies. And lied to do it.

Patriotism is not a bad thing. There are many things about America that I love and am very proud of. Our heroic beginnings, taking on the most powerful empire in the world to be free and self-governing, for example. Or the relative peace and mutual respect that almost all of us show each other every day, even though we are very different from each other. And that we are free to vote for and choose our government, and that power changes hands peacefully and without guillotines. Also, that we reward hard work and innovation. That we protect peoples' innovations with laws protecting patents, copyright, and trademarks. That we eventually adopt changes to our laws to create more equality among our citizens (though sometimes it takes longer than it should). That we genuinely believe in freedom of speech as a core value in our society. There are others, but these are some key things.

But when I hear people belittle other countries, it kind of irritates me. Where I live, one favorite is saying, "These policies are going to ruin our economy just like they ruined Europe's." Well, first, who said Europe's economy was ruined? Greece, Spain and Portugal are messes (much like Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, and most of Texas) but the stronger European countries are helping them out (just like the northern states' federal tax dollars help southern states). But they are democratic, free countries that have health care that is more available to more people. They have higher unemployment and higher taxes, but they also get like 4-6 weeks of vacation each year. Yes, it is different, but that does not make it better or worse. They are better at some things and worse at others.

A friend of mine was given Mitt Romney's book for Christmas. He didn't get very far into it before he put it down. It was all about American superiority and being the strongest, most powerful, blah blah blah. Jingoism.

If your neighbor thought himself superior to you, you'd think him a douche bag. And yet we are shocked that Americans (though not America necessarily) are disliked by people all over the world. A little self-examination might shine some light on it. Or maybe, they are just not smart enough to understand why we are so much better than they are. Riiiiiigghhhttttt.

I will grant that there may have been a time when our society needed to think we were better than everyone else. I'm not sure of this. I just acknowledge that it could be true. But surely, that time, if it existed, has passed.

Whenever you hear someone extol the inherent superiority of the US or Americans, remember today's word of the day: jingoism. America may be great for you and me, but that does not make it "the best" for everyone.