Why is it important to be a patriot now? Essays “What does it mean to be a patriot of your country?” and general education disciplines

Lesson topic: What does it mean to be a patriot?

And I was instilled from an early age, sometimes in a forced form, that respect and love for the state is everyone’s business.

Manifestations of patriotism

A patriot respects and remembers the history of his country; he proudly accepts both victories and defeats, without trying to ridicule or humiliate the state.

You can have patriotic feelings for the state in which you live, or you can, being thousands of kilometers away from it, feel like a part of it.

Of course, we can call patriots people who daily, investing their strength, work for the good of the country, teachers who instill respect for the state in children - future citizens. manifests itself in small things and adds up to one great feeling pride for the country.

To be a patriot means to believe in the future of the country, to see prospects and strive for them; this is the trembling that runs through the whole body at the very first chords of the anthem. A patriot is ready to devote his life to the Motherland, act in its interests and die for it, if necessary.

Patriotism and emigration

Often people leave the country due to various circumstances. Perhaps someone does this because they do not want to live where they were born, someone is forced by life, but distance cannot cause the loss of patriotic feelings. When a person, already living under a different sky, worries about his Motherland, even in small things, for example, he roots for her sports team or is not indifferent to cultural events, this only inspires respect.

It is better to cultivate and develop a sense of patriotism in yourself than a feeling of shame and hatred, because blaming your location for failures is pointless.

If the citizens of a country are not imbued with its problems, do not worry about its fate and do not respect it, then they first of all laugh at themselves, at the history of their lives. Life beyond the horizon always seems different, new and more promising, but it is not for nothing that they say that it is good where we are not. It is better to try to improve your own than to look at someone else’s state space, already created by someone.

The future of the country is in the hands of its inhabitants; they are the ones who create a positive or negative image for other states; they are the ones who create its history.

Patriotism is generally defined as love for one's country, and such love seems worthy and right to most people. But in what way are oaths of allegiance washed away to a piece of colored cloth or a geographical area? What if for a lumberjack from Maine, the same lumberjacks living an hour away in Canada are much closer and clearer to him than surfers from California, and he doesn’t care about the line drawn on the map two hundred years ago?

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People often rally around flags, but not everyone thinks it's a good thing. Albert Einstein said that he hated “all the disgusting nonsense that comes out under the name of patriotism.” Leo Tolstoy believed that “the harmfulness and irrationality of patriotism are obvious to everyone.” Many thinkers agreed with them. It is quite possible that patriotism does more harm than good.

1. Patriotism makes war more likely.

A January report from the Congressional Research Service, "U.S. Military Uses Overseas," lists instances in which the U.S. military has engaged in armed conflict or prepared for such conflict. Since 2009, there have been 25 such cases. Opinion polls show that Americans are very patriotic (in this they are second only to the residents of Venezuela).

In the book War, Its Causes and Associated Phenomena, Martin Nettleship and his co-authors show that there is a strong correlation between the patriotism of the population and the likelihood of war.

The cause-and-effect relationship has not yet been firmly established, but the idea that patriotism, as exalting one's country above others, provokes conflict seems very common sense.

2. Patriotism reduces the useful participation of citizens in politics.

Interestingly, those who show love for country do not do so through traditional means of political participation. Research shows that people who consider themselves “patriots” have lower levels of awareness of political events and are less likely to participate in elections.

Uncritical adherence to views of any kind breeds ignorance. Sighting devices could tell about this more accurately sociological research, but don't expect government funding for works that question the value of patriotism.

3. Patriotism gives rise to unjustified hatred or mistrust.

Many philosophers and psychologists have studied the relationship between the concepts of “we” and “they” in human thinking. They agree that patriotic feelings give rise to distrust of those who are not part of the same ethnic or social group as the “patriot.”

A 2013 study at the University of Texas at Arlington found a correlation between ethnic self-identification and negative feelings toward immigrants from Latin America. Scientists did not use the words “nationalism” or “patriotism,” but everyone already understands what they are talking about.

4. Patriotism makes violation of human rights acceptable.

The concept of "country" can refer to land, culture, people, government, or a combination of these phenomena. All patriotic mythology is aimed at making people feel the “reality” of the country. People are starting to think that the “country” can be defended by any means.

It is known that the anti-terrorism Patriot Act in the United States violates 6 out of 10 points of the Bill of Rights, which is part of the American Constitution.

A 2005 Gallup poll found that 55% of Americans favor making flag burning a crime. But courts have ruled that flag burning is a political statement and therefore protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. In other words, more than half of Americans were willing to break the law for the sake of their patriotic feelings.

5. Patriotism makes censorship acceptable.

In 1991, during the military operation in Iraq, a ban was imposed on the display of the coffins of killed American servicemen. It was canceled only in 2009. It was believed that this measure was intended to protect privacy families of those killed, but was that the point? The first such act was adopted back in 1798 during the preparation for the war with France.

Patriotism leads not only to censorship, but also to self-censorship; it encourages journalists to lose their function and become propagandists. And this has not made any society any better.

6. Patriotism leads to denigration of others.

Hatred and mistrust appear in our hearts more easily if there is fertile soil for it. And, conversely, patriotism is more easily strengthened if we begin to bully any group of people who are unlike us. German patriotism under Hitler, for example, was based on the demonization of Jews.

A simple example: French fries in American McDonald's are called French fries. When France refused to participate in the military operation against Iraq in 2003, the potatoes began to be called freedom fries. Jokes and ridiculous stories about the French began to circulate throughout the country. Although the French did no harm the Americans were not harmed - their president simply refused to participate in the military adventure.

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7. Patriotic feelings encourage atrocities.

University of South Florida professor Edward Kissi studied genocides in Ethiopia, Cambodia and Rwanda. He established that the people see patriotism and nationalism as the main ways to express loyalty to the state. When a patriot considers the actions of the state to be patriotic, he is ready to do the most terrible things.

In addition, patriotism silences those who would otherwise disagree with government policies. During World War II, 127,000 Japanese American citizens were interned in camps. And almost no other American citizens objected.

8. Patriotism comes at a cost.

Maintaining patriotism is worth it big money. The US Navy's Blue Angels aerobatic squadron never fails to excite spectators. But its maintenance costs $40 million a year.

There are many similar “marketing” expenses for patriotism in the budgets of all countries. And, of course, all this happens with taxpayers' money. Money that could be spent on medicine and education.

9. Patriotic thinking replaces critical thinking.

Richard Paul leads the research and professional development in the center critical thinking in California. According to his many years of observations, patriotism too often serves as an excuse for manipulating historical and other facts. Gradually, such manipulation becomes involuntary, and a person’s ability to soberly assess the situation decreases.

10. Patriotism is simply not needed.

All of the above arguments can be refuted one way or another by a patriotic reader. But let's think about it - what can patriotism give us?

More freedom? More prosperity? Hardly. Then why?
People will defend their homes and their families without any “patriotism” imposed from above, simply because these are THEIR families. And for this they will not need an idol wrapped in the stars and stripes (or tricolor) flag. Until that terrible moment comes (maybe it never will), let's just live the way we know how.

Poltinin D., Shalatov M.:

What does it mean to be a patriot today?

To be a patriot means to be the master of your country, not a guest. In case of danger, be able to protect her and handle her gifts with care. A patriot, in my understanding, is a person who works and is socially active, builds his future, connecting it only with his Fatherland. He will do much more than a person who is ready to defend the country’s prestige in words. This is much more difficult than just talking about love for the Motherland, let’s look at Dictionary Dahl: “A patriot is one who loves his fatherland, is devoted to his people, is ready to make sacrifices and heroic deeds in the name of the interests of his Motherland.” Modern life differs from previous eras in its frantic rhythm, individualism, value material goods. And at the same time, she also leaves room for heroism. To be a patriot or not depends on the person himself. Anyone who does good deeds from the heart can become a hero. After all, great heroism is born from small actions. To be a patriot, in my opinion, means “not to litter in the forest.” Don't name Russian Federation"this country". Cheer for your team at the World Championships. Support the actions of our, not foreign, politicians in conflict situations. And, of course, refrain from sophisticated swearing and sour sarcasm against our state. From my point of view, patriotism begins when you realize that for some reason you need this country, and not in the form of ruins and poverty, but in the form of a place of residence (as comfortable as possible) for your relatives, relatives, acquaintances, people of the same you are a nationality with common historical roots. When you realize that in this land lie your ancestors, who worked it and for which they fought, which fed them and which accepted them. And when you realize that you want to lie in this same land, you want this land to feed and raise your descendants. It doesn’t matter how you came to this - through the logical realization that it cannot be otherwise, or purely emotionally (by once again coming to your favorite forest to pick mushrooms and seeing a deforestation in place of the forest). And when this feeling becomes unconscious, when you are ready to take a machine gun and go defend your home, knowing full well the futility of this step and realizing that you have no chance of survival - at this stage you can talk about patriotism.

How does patriotism manifest itself today?

If we proceed from the generally accepted idea that patriotism is love for the Motherland, then it is necessary to determine what is included in the concept of “Motherland”. I believe that the Motherland is a place in whose fate a person feels spiritual involvement. The homeland is the native expanses and the father's home. But it's also something more than locality or place of residence. First of all, the Motherland is people. From here it becomes clear that heroism for the good of the Motherland is aimed at the benefit of people and, first of all, loved ones. For Russian people, the Motherland has always been holy and revered and they protected it as a shrine. It is in this understanding of the Motherland, in my opinion, that patriotism originates. At the same time, patriotism is not just love for the Motherland. This is a readiness to overcome any challenges with the country (to protect it from enemies, to raise it from ruins, to defend the honor and rights of the state on the world stage), respect for one’s history and traditions, the desire to serve the interests of the country with one’s actions (to be useful, to take responsibility, work for the good of the Motherland for yourself, loved ones, Russians...). Patriotism implies not only a sense of pride in the country, but also a willingness to be with it Hard time. I asked my friends the question: “What is patriotism and your heroes today.” The answers mainly boiled down to the fact that patriotism is love for the Motherland. About 5% of respondents were unable to define the concept of “patriotism” at all. When asked to list famous heroes most often called heroes of the Great Patriotic War. When asked whether there are heroes in the 21st century, many said that there are none. Those who agreed with the statement that there are still heroes cited only one or two names. The great military and labor past of our country knows many heroes: Sailors, Panikakha, Suvorov, Nakhimov, Stakhanov, Sakharov, Zhukov, Kutuzov, Ushakov and many others. These people once glorified our country on the world stage. Their heroism is immortal. At the same time, we, the generation that grew up in the 21st century, should know that modernity also provides examples of the manifestation of patriotism. Who are these modern patriots and heroes? My list of heroes is long, I will name only a few whose exploits were especially memorable to me. The undisputed heroes of our time are the officers and soldiers of the 6th company of the 2nd battalion of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 76th (Pskov) Airborne Division, who on February 29 - March 1, 2000 entered into battle with a significantly superior detachment of Chechens militants led by Khattab, near Argun in Chechnya, at height 776 - Lieutenant Colonel M. N. Evtyukhin, Major S. G. Molodov, Captain V. V. Romanov, Senior Lieutenant A. M. Kolgatin, Lieutenant A. V. Vorobyov, Lieutenant D.S. Kozhemyakin, privates Alexander Suponinsky, Andrey Porshnev and many others. Leonid Mikhailovich Roshal (born 1933) - Soviet and Russian pediatrician and surgeon, doctor medical sciences, Professor, public figure, Director of the Moscow Research Institute of Emergency Pediatric Surgery and Traumatology, “ Children's doctor peace" (1996), expert of the World Health Organization.

All participants in military operations in Chechnya, liquidators of the Chernobyl disaster, flood rescuers and many, many other people saving others without sparing their own lives.

Patriotism is Full time job mind and soul, love and respect for elders.

Lekanskaya D.:

There is no single measure for patriotism. For everyone there is one. Some say that patriotism means that we should be ruled only by people like us, of our nationality (but is this always true? best option?). Others believe that a person should rule who always firmly defends national interests (are you sure that they are national and not personal?). Personally, I prefer a different approach. Patriotism is when you not only “heartily root” for the country, but when you realize what is happening to the country, and act, albeit to the detriment of yourself and the current situation/generation, but in the interests of future generations. Moreover, the “interest of future generations” is both support for today’s youth and concern for the elderly as carriers folk traditions, as a connection between generations, as the moral face of society, and concern for natural resources, economic, scientific and military potential of their country. Patriotism cannot be measured by the number of speeches for anything or the volume of the cry, nor by the number of returns “from there.” Patriotism can be measured exclusively by specific deeds - how many factories you built, how many people you gave work to, to what extent you prevented the export of raw materials (generational wealth) from the country and what part of these resources (as a measure to prevent export) you turned into high-tech products with high added value due to technology and the labor of citizens, how much taxes you paid, how many talented fellow citizens you helped, how many orphanages you supported and how many orphans you helped find a family, how many teenagers you gave the opportunity to go to study/work instead of “hanging around the streets” and sitting down on drugs, how many villages you saved from extinction and brought back young people there, how many wild animals live in the forest or reserve closest to you, how you financed national science, art, mass sports, how many streets in your city you helped make clean, illuminated, ... And love... They love the street, and not the dirt on it, and if they love it, they will make an effort to keep it clean and pleasing to the eye.

Mishin A.:

We were all born in the same country, we live here and grow up. We all study the history of our country and are proud of it. But the most wonderful thing is when our souls are filled with a special feeling, consolidated over centuries and millennia - patriotism. How does patriotism manifest itself? It manifests itself: in love for one’s Fatherland, in pride for one’s people, in love for the culture of one’s people. In love for his small Motherland, where he was born and spent the first years of his life; in the desire for the prosperity of their Motherland, in activities for the benefit of the Motherland, in the readiness to protect and defend their country, in respect for veteran defenders of the Motherland, heroic deeds their ancestors. It is impossible to teach patriotism the way they teach mathematics and physics. The feeling of the Motherland is not memorizing a list of rules and regulations. This is the air we breathe. The sun that we see. The house in which we live. The feeling of the Motherland permeates our entire life. Modern life, with its transience, makes us think about our attitude towards the Motherland - the most sacred thing that a person has. I live in Russia. The history of my fatherland is rich in examples of great victories and glory, adversity and suffering. Smart and courageous people worked for the good and benefit of my country. Their work brings glory to Russia. This is my homeland. Its expanses are beautiful and vast. I am proud of my country, its past and present.