American nationalism is the most pathetic nationalism in the world

American nationalism has all of the excitement of a high school civics lecture. The problem is, American nationalism is always too distant from the heart. It is always reflecting on what the American *State* has accomplished, perhaps because that is one of the few things that truly unites Americans--we are all subjects (and beneficiaries) of the American State. We can all relate to that. But the result is a type of civic, bureaucratic nationalism that would be fitting for the Roman Empire in its last days of decadence.

American nationalism is always reflecting on either the greatness of the American State, or on how the contributions of miniscule, ordinary Americans have made the American State strong. One does not feel heroic when one serves the American State. One feels like a tiny, miserable mercenary, serving a huge, distant, bureaucratic, elitist multi-ethnic empire like Austria-Hungary.

Amercian nationalism entirely lacks the Blood-and-Soil folkish heroism of German nationalism.

American nationalism also cannot match up to the revolutionary, universalist, radical utopian heroism of French nationalism. Sure, we make some feeble attempts with a few "We the People" phrases scattered in our national tradition, but the minute you start singing, "Aux armes citoyens!" you are bound to get some petulant lecture about "the dangers of mob rule" and how "we are a republic and not a democracy, you know!"

The nationalist fairy tales that we are taught in elementary school might be good enough for a 3rd-grader, but they are hardly anything suitable for an adult to sink his or her teeth into.

At its very best, American nationalism is like the loyalty one feels to a company that provides dental insurance and free child care.

Napoleon summed up the problem most clearly:

"A man does not have himself killed for a half-pence a day or for a petty distinction. You must speak to the soul in order to electrify him."

But half-pences and petty distinctions are all that American society currently offers its citizens. And that's exactly why American national feeling rightfully languishes in the pathetic state that it does.