Another lesson on patriotism

[ProSense]

Another lesson on patriotism

I came across something interesting last night while googling around for the latest on Iran and why Bush/McCain wants to bomb and/or build there. I think the diplomatic outpost rumor is unfounded, given the last 7 1/2 years of this administration ignoring diplomacy altogether, but I'm not so sure we should be complacent about increased bombing rhetoric. Neocon Bill Kristol seems to think that if things continue to go downhill for McCain, Bush might just go ahead and let 'er rip before it's too late and America elects a president who might just enough sense to try to talk to them before bomb, bomb, bombing.

What caught my attention, though, didn't have to do with the current tensions in the Middle East, or even with Bush the Lesser or his protege McSame, but an old video from back when the Republicans thought it was A-OK to arm Iran. It was George Mitchell's schooling of Ollie North on the topic of patriotism during the Iran-Contra hearings.

(Video)

It was a far different setting, but the same conclusion was drawn in the discussion on the topic of patriotism and the right wing's attempt to co-opt it between Sen. Kerry and Chris Matthews. The truth is that the right wing doesn't own it, they can't decide how people choose to demonstrate it, and questioning authority is a responsibility of it. These were the points made by both Kerry and Mitchell on these two very distant occasions, and their counter argument to flag-pin patriotism is one that can't be repeated often enough.

I found it fascinating as well that these two discussions of patriotism, decades apart, have a common connection in that they were presented by two key players in the investigation of the Iran-Contra scandal. Both Senate Majority Leader Mitchell, at the forefront of the hearings, and Senator Kerry, who lead the investigation behind the scenes, reminding of the connection between patriotism and dissent and how the two are intertwined.
It is, as Mitchell says, the essence of our freedom.

The Oliver North File

[ProSense]

1. This video is good.

Mitchell really made North look ashamed.