Patriotism With Usman: Patriotic Inertia As A Form Of Societal Control

 

Inertia refers simply to the ability of (physical) objects to resist change while in its state of motion. I have therefore coined the concept Patriotic Inertia to refer to the tendency of Patriotism to remain constant in the face of any form of change regardless of the nature, speed or direction. It is said that the only constant thing in life is change but a deep look reveals that patriotism anywhere is patriotism. It does not change or vary from country to country neither does it (patriotism) change with democratic, autocratic, oligarchic or despotic regimes. Love and loyalty to a country is simply love and loyalty whether that country is Nigeria or the United States of America.

 

How can our country be held together when it is characterized by diverse individuals and groups with divergent interests and aspirations sometimes clashing and conflicting in order to gain dominance and recognition? The answer can be found in patriotic Inertia.

 

Patriotism which does not change (patriotic inertia) can act as a societal glue if it offers citizens and interest groups meaning and purpose in their everyday lives and activities. Meaning and purpose meant here can be achieved with a system of rewards and motivation in the form of value attainment and ends satisfaction. If an individual knows that for and in the interest of his country or society, he must not be fraudulent, he must also be sure that by not being fraudulent he can meet his legitimate needs with little trouble. This is where the government faces a challenge. As long as the economic, social and political climates are not made conducive for the individuals and groups in the society, patriotism cannot be expected from  majority of the individuals and groups. In essence, the government has to be patriotic before it can make the environment conducive and  individuals and groups have to inculcate the values of patriotism in order to avoid societal ills. It is duty bound on both the government and the citizens to be patriotic before any desired progress can be made by any nation. Patriotism has to be whole and total.

 

Like religion, patriotism is made up of beliefs which, if adopted by government and the people, can guide general conduct and behavior towards conformity. Individuals will relate with fellow individuals with love and care and will relate with constituted authority with patience, cooperation and understanding. These patriotic beliefs can be better acknowledged if viewed and held as responsibilities on the part of both the state and the individual. They can be ingrained into the individual through the mass media, educational institutions and interpersonal relationships. Some of these responsibilities or beliefs which render Patriotic Inertia effective are as follows:

 

• The state is greater and better than all the individuals and groups it contains and comprises of.

• Both the state and the citizens must abide by the provisions of the constitution and obey the rule of law.

 

• The state must ensure the safety of lives and property of the citizens.

 

• Citizens must contribute positively to the betterment of the state at all times.

 

• Citizens should adhere to their religious teachings and comply with the moral injunctions inherent in their religion. These moral teachings help to enforce patriotism. All religions preach ethics such as the desirability of hard work, dedication, truthfulness and the undesirability of corruption and crime.

 

• The state is responsible for the stability and welfare of the citizens through political and economic policies as well as social infrastructure.

 

• The state must provide proper avenue for dispute resolutions

 

• The state must ensure justice and equity to all and uphold the rule of law at all times

 

• The citizens must ask for justice and equity and exercise their rights to freedom of speech, freedom of association and to cry out when their rights or those of others are violated. The individual has the responsibility of advising the state through appropriate channels.

 

Patriotic Inertia invariably translates to (subconscious) Patriotic rituals and can be regarded as the common and general practices required or expected from a patriot. This is intended only to honor and remind the patriots to be proud of the state and to keep their responsibility and allegiance to the state intact. Some of these subconscious rituals are

• Recitation of the national anthem and pledge during state events and on official gatherings and occasions.

• Observing historic events such as independence day celebrations, Armed forces remembrance day celebrations, democracy day celebrations etc

• Hoisting the national flag in public and private business premises or even keeping smaller flag in homes, cars and bedrooms.

• Keeping photographs of honest and patriotic leaders in offices and homes

 

These acts will help us accept the state as very important and instrumental to our existence as well as remind us of the need to be patriotic. What this means indirectly is that because Patriotism does not change or to put it succinctly, because of Patriotic Inertia, society or a country tends to be regulated and programmed to work in the collective interest of all. Patriotic Inertia is therefore a form of societal control. 

 

It is my firm belief that the more patriotic individuals we have in our country, the better our country will turn out. This is why we need to collectively, consciously and deliberately work on ourselves and lay the foundations for the emergence of patriotic citizens with patriotic values and ideals. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) must spearhead this enormous responsibility if we must make any meaningful progress. If you picture or imagine a country where all the elected leaders from councilors to President are patriotic, where the legislators at all levels are patriotic, where the judiciary is made up of patriotic judges, where ministries, agencies, parastat als and all other institutions (public or private) are manned by patriotic leaders then obviously it only means that such a country has an abundance of patriotic citizens because these leaders are only a reflection of the citizenry. In such an instance, crime rates (corruption, robbery, fraud)will drop, poverty will diminish, illiteracy will disappear, unemployment rates will fall, infrastructural development will increase, ethnic disputes will cease, religious rancor or clashes will vanish, healthcare will improve and become affordable and accessible to all, economic growth will transform into economic development and political stability will reign supreme. Everything will work at near optimum level. If however we have an opposite situation, the reverse will be the case. I think you share this belief too. If you do, it means you can confidently refer to yourself as a patriotic Nigerian who has assimilated the benefits of Patriotic Inertia.

 

Usman A. Usman writes in from Kaduna. You can contact him via email at usmanusman1ng@yahoo.com or twitter @usmanusman.