Former Top Clinton Official Issues SICK Warning To Americans On 4th Of July Weekend

By John Falkenberg
July 2, 2016 at 4:41pm

Former Clinton Secretary of Labor Robert Reich doesn’t want our Fourth of July patriotism hurting anyone’s feelings.

“We hear a lot about patriotism, especially around the Fourth of July. But in 2016, we’re hearing about two very different types of patriotism. One is an inclusive patriotism that binds us together. The other is an exclusive patriotism that keeps others out,” he wrote for the left-leaning San Francisco Chronicle.

“We’re now hearing a strident, exclusive patriotism. It asserts a unique and superior ‘Americanism’ that’s determined to exclude others beyond our borders,” he added.

Well, let’s define “patriotism,” just real quick.

Merriam-Webster defines it in full as “love for or devotion to one’s country.”

Generally, when you love something, or are devoted to it, you are doing so to the exclusivity of other people, places, or things. You can’t be devoted to multiple countries, much like the inability of man to serve two masters.

Apparently, concern for border security is “exclusive” patriotism: “Donald Trump famously wants to ban all Muslims from coming to America, and to build a wall along the Mexican border to keep out Mexicans.

“Exclusive patriotism tells us to fear foreign terrorists in our midst — even though almost every terrorist attack since 9/11 has been perpetrated by American citizens or holders of green cards living here for a decade or more.”

Those are not mutually exclusive concerns. But what Reich said next might lead one to believe that “exclusive” patriotism refers only to presumed GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump‘s stances that Reich didn’t like.

“Inclusive patriotism instructs us to join together for the common good. Such patriotism requires taking on a fair share of the burdens of keeping America going — including a willingness to pay taxes,” he said.

“Exclusive patriotism celebrates the acquisitive individual and lone entrepreneur.”

So does capitalism, another ideology this leftist undoubtedly disagrees with.

“It tells us that taxes on the wealthy slow economic growth and deter innovation,” he added. “Trump wants to reduce the highest income tax rate to 25 percent from today’s 39.6 percent. No matter that this would result in higher deficits or cuts in Social Security, Medicare and programs for the poor. They’re supposedly good for growth.”

“So will it be inclusive or exclusive patriotism? A celebration of ‘us’ or contempt for ‘them?'”

Um, exclusive, by your definition, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

And three times on the Fourth of July.

H/T The Daily Caller

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