ka1igu1a over at the Freedom Democrats writes with regret that Mr. Obama will soon take what he refers to as a "loyalty oath" to the United States in response to the Rev. Wright controversy. ka1igu1a believes that the core element of this controversy is the conflux of race and patriotism.

What ka1igu1a would prefer is that Mr. Obama declare that rather than being devoted to the United States, he is devoted to liberty itself as Sam Adams did when he declare, "God damn the King!"  He concludes:

But this Libertarian can't help but to think, why, yes, God Bless Thomas Jefferson, God Bless the Cause of Liberty, but God Damn the United States.

I appreciate ka1igu1a's point; and I do believe that principles must be placed over nationalism.  But I do not believe the two are mutually exclusive - and I believe I too love my country - abstract notion that it may be.

It is because I believe in the possibilities of America that I care about ensuring that the principles I support are practiced by our government; it is because I care about the abstraction that is America - not despite it - that I am critical.  Based on Mr. Obama's comments, this seems to be what he believes as well.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 and is filed under Election 2008, Libertarianism, Obama, Politics. Comments are closed; the conversation is kept as it was.