₦airaland Forum

It was Mark Twain who opined that; “ Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it". Mark Twain

While EMMA GOLDMAN, Anarchism and Other Essays went further to say; "Patriotism assumes that our globe is divided into little spots, each one surrounded by an iron gate. Those who have had the fortune of being born on some particular spot, consider themselves better, nobler, grander, more intelligent than the living beings inhabiting any other spot. It is, therefore, the duty of everyone living on that chosen spot to fight, kill, and die in the attempt to impose his superiority upon all the others".

Actually, so many authors, patriots, and scholars have written so much treatise on the topic; PATRIOTISM. This word is so easy to scream from the roof tops especially by our politicians but so hard to practice in reality, by same group. Why is this so? The reason isn't far fetched as most politicians except for the exceptional few who are the REAL PATRIOTS, can afford to sacrifice their selfish motive for the common good of the nation and the masses. They are ready to sacrifice NOTHING for the nation even when the country is bleeding.

It was . WILLIAM H. BURNHAM, New Outlook, vol. 90, who said; "The essence of patriotism is the sacrifice of personal interest to public welfare". But this dictum isn't acceptable to our politicians in Nigeria of today, as the allure of power is just much for them to control.

"Patriotism is a lively sense of collective responsibility. Nationalism is a silly cock crowing on its own dunghill and calling for larger spurs and brighter beaks. RICHARD ALDINGTON, The Colonel's Daughter.

Unfortunately, a country like Nigeria invaded by extremists have her leaders pitched against one another throwing away call of nationalism and patriotism to her motherland. They claim to be elites who are widely travelled learning nothing except digital looting of treasury and power contest at the detriment of national development.

Patriotism is one of the unalterable facts of man's nature. It is a virtue if you like it, and a vice if you don't like it.
MAX EASTMAN, "What Shall We Do With Patriotism.

Opposition in Nigeria as represented by All Progressive Congress(APC) with her presidential candidate; Muhammad Buhari, seem to have forgotten that we need a country first, before any leader can exist to reign. Their kind of politicising and failing to support ruling government even in times of insurgency signifies unpatriotic citizens who value selfish interest to national interest. The high level hypocrisy exhibited by APC shows a group who are more interested in grabbing power than in having a safe country. To them the fight of insurgency is that of President Jonathan alone while their duty is to ridicule him and by extension the military, whenever the insurgents causes havoc and see if they can probably set the masses against him. They seem not to differentiate between constructive and destructive criticism.

Painfully they fail to admit that; "Patriotism is the admission that people who share a land, a place, and a history have a special obligation to that place and to each other". DAVID EHRENFELD, Becoming Good Ancestors.

Muhammad Buhari;APC presidential candidate; who coincidentally is a former head of state and a retired military officer, by his position has unhindered access to ruling President Jonathan privately and also, through the council of state, a forum which is an assemblage of past leaders, legislators, and jurists. But he rather preferred to keep his "magic wand" to aid in fighting and defeating the insurgency in his pocket, unless he is elected president then maybe these plans will be utilized in the fight. By his stance; curiously again one is forced to ask if there is any plan at all or just an empty boast because at one point in his campaign, he promised to invite other military officers to map out a plan to fight the insurgency if elected into power. He is yet to give any constructive plan or suggestion in the fight against boko haram. So many are the contradicting and conflicting statements he has made so far in his stance for and against boko haram that it is hard to actually place where he stands or his assured view of insurgency in Nigeria as represented by boko haram.

Suffice to say that APC and her candidate for presidency; Muhammad Buhari need to re-examine themselves and see what exactly they represent and possibly seek out ways of being more patriotic citizens. While learning that power is transient but history will always keep record of her benevolent children with their deeds against their names.

Source; Whynotthetruth...opinion

Patriotism is a salt against rottenness, a glorious spur to high endeavour; it recovers the half-obliterated virtue of loyalty, calls every man to service, and ennobles great and small alike. PERCY DEARMER, Patriotism

Terrorism is a psychological warfare. Terrorists try to manipulate us and change our behavior by creating fear, uncertainty, and division in society. Patrick J. Kennedy

Those who love their country never wish to rule it.
ABRAHAM MILLER, Unmoral Maxims


To be a good patriot, a man must consider his countrymen as God's creatures, and himself as accountable for his acting towards them.
BISHOP BERKELEY, attributed, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers

Patriotism is the opposite of selfish individualism.
DAVID EHRENFELD, Becoming Good Ancestor


Patriotism is the intelligent appreciation that one's own welfare is inseparably connected with the general welfare and that to prosper personally one must intelligently do his utmost to maintain the general prosperity.
JULIUS STERLING MORTON, The Conservative , vol. 1


Patriotism is easy to understand.... It means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country. CALVIN COOLIDGE, The Price of Freedom

Take patriotism away, and the nation's soul has fled.
EDWARD MARK DEEMS, Holy Days and Holida


Patriotism is not endlessly bragging that out country is the best; rather it is wanting one's country to be the best that it can be and helping it to be that best, which is a very different matter. ROBERT STAM & ELLA SHOHAT, Flagging Patriotism

No patriotism is genuine that is merely partisan or provincial. WILLIAM RAINEY HARPER, The Biblical World, vol. 54

A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works. BILL VAUGHAN, Forbes Magazine, vol. 146

You don't expect patriotism from a gang of viscous crooks desperate to grab power and loot Nigeria dry, do you?

francizy:
You don't expect patriotism from a gang of viscous crooks desperate to grab power and loot Nigeria dry, do you?

Why can't they hide their desperate lust for power under some patriotic coat...As in painted sepulchre kind of thing...Why spew it on our faces believing we all are unapologetically gullible..?

Whynotthetruth:
Why can't they hide their desperate lust for power under some patriotic coat...As in painted sepulchre kind of thing...Why spew it on our faces believing we all are unapologetically gullible..?

Because they know they can deceive a gullible few while the majority of their supporters are the biased and tribalistic set.

francizy:
Because they know they can deceive a gullible few while the majority of their supporters are the biased and tribalistic set.

I think you just summarized the support base of APC with these words of yours...The truth is airtight...
I was asking someone who argued last time that Jonathan polarized Nigeria along ethnic & religious lines some questions like;
1) Was Jonathan president when Murtala Muhammed who was Buhari and Ibb mentor cum boss committed genocide in massacring unarmed eastern civilians

2)Was Jonathan president when religious riots came on unended in jos and other northern states?

3)Was Jonathan president during the massacre of Igbo living in the north during numerous ethnic cleansing campaigns against easterners there?

4)Was Jonathan president when the military including buhari as a junior officer armed civilians to decimate both Igbo military officers and civilians in the north?

5)Was Jonathan president when Tinubu as governor kept quiet as OPC decimated other other ethnic groups especially in the Ajegunle axis for days without end?

6)Was Jonathan president when Nigeria was registered as part of OIS?

7)Was Jonathan president when all our national buildings was designed and built after Islamic architectural masterpiece with mosques in all?

Was Jonathan president when the rules of admissions to federal institutions and colleges were re-designed to favour a particular group and ethnicity?

9)So how did Jonathan polarize us or is he not being vilified & kicked from all fronts for trying to change the old ordernotwithstanding he's a bloody civilian from a minority...