Puffed-up patriotism

Re “What’s so ugly about ‘we’ Americans?” Opinion, Oct. 2

Jonah Goldberg’s celebration of the American “we” is difficult to stomach. The American “we” does indeed have answers to problems that the global “we” doesn’t, and the unfortunate reality is that it also has the hubris and power to unilaterally implement them. The Great American We certainly braved out the niggling, obstructionist global caviling in its march into the mire of Iraq.

The Germans also had a great sense of nationhood in 1939. They knew how to cure their maladies, and no “aggrieved sensibilities of minority cultures” were going to get in their way. No global tests for the fatherland’s definition of its national interest. Those were the good old days, when a people knew who they were!

Chris Kirchner

Walnut

Goldberg identifies two types of American patriots; I’d like to suggest a third. In addition to the folks who wear flag clothing, flag pins, sit in flag chairs, fly flags (at night and in the rain) and all the other overt acts of patriotism, I believe there might be at least one more type.

The third group of folks often doesn’t seem to be particularly impressed with displaying flag symbols; they are the “silent patriots.” They volunteer as court-appointed special advocates, Meals on Wheels delivery persons, museum docents, tutors for low-income children, advocates for the homeless, firefighters, protectors of wildlife, hospice caregivers -- you get the idea. These silent patriots may be the ones who matter most.

Bruce Mitchell

Oxnard

Goldberg writes another right-wing essay attacking liberals as unrepentant critics and cultural curmudgeons. In Goldberg’s “America,” any person who seems to question the preeminence of our culture -- see, Mr. Goldberg, I am a liberal who doesn’t mind using the collective noun -- is either wrong-headed or acting like a European. I don’t know what America Goldberg lives in, but in my America we have the right to debate and defend our competing visions for our democracy.

On a final note, I think it is more likely that multiculturalism is the cure, not the cause, for what ails America.

Oliver Cutshaw

La Habra

Historian John Lukacs defines the distinction between patriotism and nationalism. While the former is humble, protective and founded on love, the latter claims special status derived from God to be aggressive and hate those who oppose its selfish vision. Judging from their rhetoric, Katie Couric appears to be the patriot while Goldberg is undoubtedly the nationalist.

Tom Stroud

Overland Park, Kan.

A huge problem with Goldberg’s column is that he doesn’t know the definition of “multiculturalism.” It means recognizing or relating to multiple cultures, not claiming they’re all equal.

Rob Schmidt

Culver City