Robert Reich: True patriots don’t hate the government

from salon.com

WEDNESDAY, JUL 8, 2015 02:15 AM PDT

The former secretary of labor reflects on what it means to preserve and protect our democracy in 2015

TOPICS: VIDEO, ROBERTREICH.ORG, PATRIOTISM, DEMOCRACY, 4TH OF JULY, CORPORATE AMERICA, BUSINESS NEWS, POLITICS NEWS

Robert Reich

This originally appeared on Robert Reich's blog.

A few words about patriotism – something we talk a lot about, especially around July 4th, but seldom stop to examine its real meaning.

True patriotism isn’t simply about waving the American flag. And it’s not mostly about securing our borders from outsiders.

It’s about coming together for the common good.

Real patriotism is not cheap. It requires taking on a fair share of the burdens of keeping America going – being willing to pay taxes in full rather than seeking tax loopholes and squirreling away money abroad.

Patriotism is about preserving and protecting our democracy, not inundating it with big money and buying off politicians.

True patriots don’t hate the government of the United States. They’re proud of it. They may not like everything it does, and they justifiably worry when special interests gain too much power over it. But true patriots work to improve our government, not destroy it.

Robert Reich, one of the nation’s leading experts on work and the economy, is Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley. He has served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton. Time Magazine has named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the last century. He has written 13 books, including his latest best-seller, “Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future;” “The Work of Nations,” which has been translated into 22 languages; and his newest, an e-book, “Beyond Outrage.” His syndicated columns, television appearances, and public radio commentaries reach millions of people each week. He is also a founding editor of the American Prospect magazine, and Chairman of the citizen’s group Common Cause. His new movie "Inequality for All" is in Theaters. His widely-read blog can be found atwww.robertreich.org.