Dynamic Patriotism Compared to Propagandistic Patriotism

Written by: Thomas G Miller on Oct 2, 2007 10:07 AM EDT

Propaganda being binary emotional rhetoric, propaganda is susceptible to Socratic questioning.

If the binary choice is, for instance, a choice between being a patriot or not being a patriot, this choice is between good, as a patriot, or bad, as not being a patriot, an emotional choice.

Being a patriot is being devoted to your country as a literal definition; the question then becomes -- what does one do to be devoted to a country? Do you support tyranny and oppression to be a patriot, or do you support freedom and liberty to be a patriot? Does the form of attachment to patriotism have to be emotional, right/wrong, good/bad, win/lose, etc., or can the form of attachment to patriotism be based upon the dynamics of best interest?

Socratic questions can lead to different conclusions of what patriotism is, if dogma of patriotism as propaganda is questioned and defined at all three (3) levels of a propagandistic frame, rather than being accepted as a two-part emotional frame, where CHOICE and DEFINITION are not provided.

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