Flagging patriotism: crises of narcissism and anti-Americanism

Abstract

While many books focus on anti-Americanism, and many on patriotism, Flagging Patriotism audaciously links the two issues. Within a multiper-spectival approach, the authors reframe the usual "Why do they hate us?" question, asking how do other nations love themselves, and how is that self-love linked to their views of the United States? Is love of country "monogamous," or can one love many countries? In the age of imperial democracy, how can Americans learn from international critics, but also point out that anti-Americans "get it wrong"? Rather than simply endorse or reject the criticisms, the book scores both the anti-French hysteria of the right and the submerged narcissism of some French anti-Americanism. The boisterous superpatriots, meanwhile, are exposed as not being patriots at all. Drawing upon the authors' experience and knowledge of Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East, Flagging Patriotism expands American studies by deploying a fresh, interconnective, and transnational grid. Dedicated to cable clowns like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, the book combines transdisciplinary expertise with a colloquial and often humorous style. While touching on many hot-button issues, it also clarifies present-day tensions by seeing them against the longer historical backdrop of various national mythologies and exceptionalisms