Beyond Patriotism: From Truman to Obama

Beyond Patriotism argues that some millions of Americans have become post-national people who put the good of humanity ahead of patriotism or national honour. It discusses the decisions that disillusioned them from the Vietnamese War, to the attempt to put Pol Pot back into power, to the sanctions against Iraq. Rather than lamenting the heyday of patriotism, post-national people should congratulate themselves on attaining moral maturity. They should clarify their thinking about why nationalism is bankrupt, what Americans should do to pacify the world, what they owe to their native land, and what they owe to themselves.