[size=15pt]I bumped into this interesting article and a host of others on:[/size]

http://thestanleynwabia..com/2011/10/thin-line-between-patriotic-and.html

[size=15pt]Makes for good reading,HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!![/size]


THIN LINE BETWEEN PATRIOTIC AND UNPATRIOTIC.

Who is a true Nigerian patriot? Is it the man or woman who sees no wrong in the Nigerian polity, or is it the one who places him/herself at the disposal of any government in power? Is a Nigerian patriot the one who believes that his or her views on how to make Nigeria work is the only authentic remedy to the country’s baggage of challenges? Can true Nigerian patriots only be found in the armed forces due to their devotion to the flag and their willingness to lay down their lives for Nigeria?

Who is an unpatriotic Nigerian? Is he or she the activist always involved in elaborately analysing all of Nigeria’s flaws in both local and international platforms, sometimes trying too hard to ensure that his/her own version of Nigeria’s woes appears more morbid than that of other speakers? Are unpatriotic Nigerians the ones who find it difficult taking the word(s) ‘secession’ and ‘Sovereign National Conference’ away from their vocabulary? Is the Nigerian opposition unpatriotic due to their steady criticism of whatever positive or negative decisions the ruling party or government makes?

A general definition of Patriotism is ‘a love of and loyalty to one's country. A patriot is someone who loves, supports, and is prepared to serve their country’. In the Nigerian context, patriotism could also mean ‘a love of and loyalty to one’s government. A Nigerian patriot is therefore someone who loves, supports and is prepared to serve their government’. Notice how the former definition lays emphasis on the ‘country’, while the latter focuses on ‘government’. Clearly, there’s a mix up on the understanding of patriotism by Nigerians. The bigger mix up also occurs in how our patriotism is displayed. As it stands now in Nigeria, if one is in government he or she is automatically a patriot; those in opposition are most likely ‘unpatriotic elements’. Even in the corporate and private sectors, big and successful business people (though some are foreigners) tend to be more patriotic than struggling businesses.

Many well meaning Nigerians sometimes hesitate in branding themselves as patriots lest they be seen as government apologists. Others, especially those in opposition camps who passionately refer to themselves as patriots believe that their patriotic zeal can only be expressed when they dish out firebrand appraisals on the failures of the Nigerian state.

I do not like comparing nations but for the sake of this article, the United States of America and Mexico will be brought into the picture. Some of us have access to international cable news stations, and have been able to watch several American political debates. America presently has its own challenges; rising unemployment, debt crises, terror threats, serial suicide killers and racism. However, whenever Democrats and Republicans are at loggerheads, their arguments always centre on ‘the American people’, as a matter of fact; no statement is complete without reference to the ‘good’ people of America. That they are referring to Americans as ‘good’ does not mean that there are no evil Americans, in fact there are lots of them. American politicians seem to understand the true meaning of patriotism, they may have issues with the government in power but their loyalty to the American people is such that no matter the intensity of any arguments, they try not to say or do anything that would make America as a country or the American people look bad. Another case point is the Latin American nation of Mexico, since 2006, the Mexican government has been in a terrible war with its domestic druglords, over 40,000 mainly innocent people have been killed in execution style, some buried in mass graves. In spite of all this, Mexico remains a number one tourist destination; many A-list Hollywood stars still rush to Mexico for their holidays. Mexicans have been able to convince the world that most parts of their country is peaceful and that Mexicans are generally good people.

Back to Nigeria, whenever I’ve been opportuned to attend or listen to political debates, seminars and talk shows on Nigeria, we tend to see something embarrassingly different from what obtains in the United States or Mexico. Many Nigerian politicians (especially those in the opposition) or interest groups in the heat of any argument will dwell on everything negative about Nigeria and Nigerians, how ethnicity and religious divides have plagued us. They will also remind us that there’s no electricity in Nigeria, no roads and that human life is no longer sacred. In order to further buttress their points they’ll make continuous references to bomb blasts and violence in Maiduguri, Abuja, Jos and parts of the Niger delta.

On the other hand, some Nigerian elite politicians and government officials belonging to the ruling party are also guilty of irritating the populace by making blind patriotic assertions without taking any corresponding concrete steps aimed at soothing the wounds of the nation.

Nigeria is made up of thirty six states and the federal Capital territory (FCT), Abuja. If some locations within three or four states are having constant security challenges; surely the rest of the country is not doing too badly security wise. No one is saying Nigeria does not have tremendous challenges but we seem to have mastered the art of constantly defining and redefining the intensity of our problems instead of focusing solely on solutions. We are all guilty of this, including yours truly, as i have indeed made ‘unpatriotic’ generalizations on issues of corruption in Nigeria in some of my past articles. I’ll probably repeat the same mistake in future because writing on Nigeria can be emotionally overwhelming.

Another point to stress on is that if Nigerians displayed these ‘unpatriotic’ tendencies strictly on domestic platforms, then it could still be fair enough. My spirits are always at its lowest end whenever I watch or read some eminent and not too eminent Nigerian figures making this same mistake on foreign owned media, and trust me, i have seen plenty. Many enlightened Nigerians don’t understand that when a Nigerian bad-mouths his own country in front of a foreigner (no matter how true their point is), he or she does so unwisely. Let's face it; as far as the white newscaster interviewing you about your country is concerned, Nigeria is NOT a living organism, Nigeria is NOT IBB, Yaradua or Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria is NOT Niger-delta ,Jos,Maiduguri or Boko Haram. In the white man or woman's eyes, at that point in time (as they watch you down grade your own country), YOU ARE NIGERIA!!! Thus, if you are a Nigerian residing in a foreign land, be rest assured that any evil you say about Nigeria can and will be used against you.

Patriotism is not about blindly supporting any government in power, neither is it about fighting every government in power. Patriotism is just like answering your father’s family name proudly regardless of whatever visible flaws your own father may have had as a person. In the same vein, ‘unpatriotism’ is similar to dragging your own surname into the mud just because your father who is the source of that name has not lived up to your expectations.

Does patriotism now mean that we become redundant, docile and oblivious towards Nigeria’s huge basket of troubles? No. But it does mean that we concentrate all our energies not on elaborately broadcasting Nigeria’s shortcomings, but on becoming part of the solution. Constructive criticisms must become a mantra for all shades of Nigerian interest groups.

I'm a patrotic Nigerian because i'm a member of Nairaland - a Nigerian forum.

You Nko?