Monday, June 02, 2008
Patriotism & Nazism
- Characteristics Of
Decency, Intelligence,
And American Government Patriotism
George Bernard Shaw used three concepts to describe the positions of individuals in Nazi Germany: Intelligence, Decency and Nazism. He argued that if a person was intelligent and a Nazi, he was not decent. If he was decent and a Nazi, he was not intelligent. And if he was decent and intelligent, he was not a Nazi.
That statement is all the more humorous for being absolutely true. You can replace the word "Nazi" in the above statement with the term "pro-government American patriot" and it will be every bit as true.
Permit me, therefore, to record an updated version of Shaw's three concepts:
1. If a person is decent and a pro-government American patriot, he or she is not intelligent.
2. If a person is intelligent and a pro-government American patriot, he or she is not decent.
3. And if a person is decent and intelligent, he or she is not a pro-government American patriot.
A very useful rule of thumb.
