No, merely that in many senses the government is the country in a
democracy - yes, even if you didn't vote for it. Witholding loyalty
from your government is problematic. Would you happy with your
neighbor refusing to obey the law because he voted for the other guy?
That is the implication of Twain's fatuous statement. The seperation
of the concepts of nation and administration has an odd ring to it.
The essence of democracy is that you accept the will of the majority
and protest or campaign against that which offends you. Applying
loyalty selectively is somewhat dangerous, as the history of murkin
politics seems to bear out.
AndrewF
(with a minor arrest record for protest).
On 09/09/2005, at 12:42 AM, Walt Wayman wrote:
> Are you saying that because a government is democratically elected,
> if I don't wave the flag and enthusiastically support it in every
> undertaking, no matter how stupid or misguided, I'm being
> unpatriotic? If that is so, then I am not, have never been, and
> have no intention of becoming, a patriot. I'll keep right on being
> a scoundrel and griping and bitching out loud about the things I
> don't agree with.
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