Bringing a Progressive Patriotism to the Left

By Brian Delgado

The American left has wrestled with the concept of patriotism, being dubious to express or deploy patriotic sentiment. Amid calls for social and economic justice, the left has avoided patriotic rhetoric because of its conflation with nationalism—an ideology that uses nativism, militarism, ethnicity, etc. The principled abandonment has cost the left. By ceding the ground of patriotism and its aesthetics to the right, it has further alienated a broad amount of people who see their country as an integral part of their identity. But the left does not have to compromise on its principles. It can stay true to its principles because it possesses the strongest claim to patriotism, being most aligned with this country’s founding ideals of justice, liberty and equality. We must continue to reclaim patriotism in a way that is critical, inclusive and most importantly, aspirational. A new patriotism is vital in bringing about a progressive resurgence. A patriotism not grounded in a loyalty to the state, but a patriotism rooted in what we can create. 

Settling the distinction between nationalism and patriotism is key. As novelist and political commentator, George Orwell, observed, nationalism is the belief that one’s nation is superior to others, while patriotism is a devotion to a particular place with no desire to impose its way of life.¹ Nationalism and its xenophobia and ethnocentrism has indeed made many dubious of patriotism within progressive circles. However, to conflate these two distinct ideologies is to hand over national belonging to right wing reactionaries when national belonging is precisely what the left fights for; whether that be directly or indirectly. Sociologist Rogers Brubaker, informs us that nationalism and patriotism are “idioms of belonging”.² These terms have been malleable and historically contingent. The left has made a mistake in rejecting patriotism in its entirety rather than vigorously contesting what patriotism should mean in American politics. 

This failure of the left is not theoretical. We have constantly seen it play out. The right has continuously seen success in deploying symbolic patriotism. The display of the American flags, our military power and occasionally our constitution have served as emblems of American conservatism. This has given the left the public perception of being ungrateful and hostile to the nation. When Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem nearly a decade ago to protest police brutality, conservatives rapidly framed this act of protest as un-American, while liberals defended Colin on the grounds of free speech. The left made a huge mistake by not arguing that Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem was a patriotic act. A protest rooted in a demand that the nation fulfill its professed ideal of how we ought to live. When the left comes up to bat on the issues, it must paint the picture that their contention is a patriotic one. 

A new progressive patriotism must begin with history. America’s past is filled with shame and a common struggle. We have had a role in slavery, war, genocide and continual exploitation. But our country has also been one of suffrage, abolition, labor, civil rights and the experimentation of democracy. Love of country is not to ignore or justify our past. We must own up to the harm the state has inflicted. But the American left must insist that its promise can still be realized, that the American government is not America. Patriotism on the left needs to be the conviction that the American story is still being told and that it is a fight worth taking on despite what has come before. 

This break from patriotism on the left is not recent. It has further exacerbated since the Vietnam War where students across the country rightly opposed United States imperialism. Opposition to U.S. involvement abroad became a central part of leftist politics. The left was no longer standing by as the country conducted military operations abroad and ousted democratically elected governments. The left has come to see the state as a corrupt entity; rightly so even. The collective memory of a corrupt state that has inflicted violence, detention and silencing has continuously alienated the left from any patriotic sentiment. Again, this is not without cause. This is why I urge a re-imagination of what patriotism can mean in the context of progressive politics because even this critique takes the form of a patriotic outlook: a refusal to accept injustice in the confines of one’s nation. 

American intellectual Michael Walzer developed a concept of “connected criticism” which is applicable here. This concept distinguishes internal and external critics of a society.³ The internal critic is part of the community, part of the society it critiques. The internal critic shares in the language, culture and often values, even if in disagreement of the applications or outcomes of their practices. This is the model for a progressive patriotism: fierce opposition rooted in a shared moral language. We cannot abandon our country. As progressives we must become internal critics who continuously hold this country to a standard. The left is good at this but cannot become an external critic. We must have skin in the game and this means not abandoning the arena. The left can tend to become too disconnected from our communities and how we engage with them. Many are emotionally invested in their communities, we must do the same. 

Our patriotism must be a “critical patriotism”. Philosopher, Martha Nussabaum, sees this form of patriotism as a critical part of a democratic life.⁴ Her concept emphasizes the need and importance of historical awareness, commitment to universal values, and that our love of country is not one of justification but one of challenging our mistakes whilst striving for a more equitable society. This is the most principled patriotism. One that the left can be proud of. We must use this concept of patriotism to engage, inspire and organize movements and coalitions. A left that cannot speak to love, loyalty and love of country will continue to find itself struggling to mobilize. 

The various diaspora communities in the United States offer a telling example of how one can love a country while separating it from the state. Many immigrants from Latin America, Africa and Asia still maintain a deep affection for their homeland despite the shared history of dictatorship, poverty and violence. They understand that their country is not the state. Their patriotism is not founded on a blind loyalty to the state but rather rooted in culture, collective memory and an ideal vision of what their land could be. Consider the case of Mexican patriotism that despite a deep history of colonialism, inequality and violence, national pride remains intensely strong domestically and abroad. When Mexicans begin to speak of their contribution to the arts, sports and cuisine, it is done with immense pride. When speaking of Mexican figures like Emiliano Zapata, Benito Juarez and many more it is done so as a symbol of cultural identity, resilience and a shared struggle. Not for the love of the Mexican state. This form of patriotism fits in the patriotic model the left needs in the United States. One with its foundation built on community and a shared aspiration, not a blind loyalty to the state. There is a saying in the Spanish language, “el que no quiere a su patria, no quiere a su madre”. The english translation would be, “he who doesn't love his country, doesn't love his mother”.  It is something we ought to consider. 

Similarly, African American patriotism demonstrates the variant of patriotism needed on the left. African American intellectuals have expressed their profound love for their land while deeply condemning the injustices that have occurred at the hands of the American state. James Baldwin once wrote, “I love America more than any country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually”.⁵ This encapsulates what a progressive patriotism needs to be.

If we continue to remove ourselves from the conversation of patriotism, the right will continue to define it on its own terms. An illustration of this came on June 14th, President Trump’s birthday where he held a military parade in the nation's capital. A parade that attempted to mirror authoritarian displays of power like in North Korea and Russia. The parade that intended to shower the country’s military prowess was celebrated as a patriotic event by commentators on the right and criticism of the parade was quickly branded as un-American. But through a progressive view, the parade was an outright symbol of nationalism that should sound the alarm. It diluted patriotism to a mere display of force further eliminating a more progressive vision of patriotism. The argument the left needs to make is that true patriotism lies not in our sheer military power but in funded schools, universal healthcare, community uplifting and a more just distribution of wealth. The left can reimagine patriotism, one that does not involve military glorification but we must be willing to engage with the word and wrestle its meaning. 

But just as we must critique the right for their assault on what patriotism means in American politics, we must also critique the liberal establishment's failure to articulate a compelling patriotic vision for the country. For too long, the Democratic Party has responded to the surge in right wing nationalism with a lukewarm centrism and vague call for unity across the political spectrum. This has been their tactic rather than offering a bold and progressive patriotism rooted in love of country. Democratic leaders invoke the founding principles laid out in our constitution but are tepid in confronting system issues such as racism and economic inequality. The failure to pull and tug at what patriotism should be, they allow the right to dominate and construct what our national identity should be. As someone on the left I find the lack of desire to “play ball” to be uninspiring and politically negligent. We must reshape these concepts that have been assaulted by the right. 

Progressive patriotism must speak to these communities by rooting national pride in our struggles and visions. At the Democratic National Convention, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke that the love of country is “fighting for the people in it”. She is articulating the vision of an inclusive patriotism that must be championed. While 58% of Americans are still “proud to be an American”, this number has dropped among Americans to historic lows.⁶ Gallup writes, “Democrats are mostly responsible for the drop in U.S. pride this year, with 36% saying they are extremely or very proud, down from 62% a year ago”. I suspect this number will only continue to drop because the left no longer fights for patriotism to mean more than being a MAGA symbol. 

Internationally, various nations have offered a model of inclusive patriotism. In post apartheid South Africa, there has been a blend in national pride, reconciliation and a commitment to equal rights. The left can do the same if not more.  National narratives can reckon with our past while reshaping our future to be inclusive, critical and aspirational.

A progressive patriotism must be emotionally resonant. It must speak to a sense of belonging, purpose and pride. Legislation is a factor but not the fix in it of itself. Movements thrive on aspiration, pride and a shared vision. Richard Porty argued in “Achieving Our Country”, the left must inspire citizens to believe in the possibility of American greatness.⁷ Greatness not built on empire and dominance but as a democratic project being reborn. If the left hopes to build a better America, as I do, it must reclaim the right to love it. 


Works Cited:

  1. Orwell, George. "Notes on Nationalism." In Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters, Vol. 3. London: Secker & Warburg, 1968.

  2. Brubaker, Rogers. Nationalism Reframed: Nationhood and the National Question in the New Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

  3. Whiteside, Kerry H. “Political Theory and the Question of Political Emotion.” Political Theory 17, no. 4 (1989): 689–692.

  4. Nussbaum, Martha C. Political Emotions: Why Love Matters for Justice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2013.

  5. Baldwin, James. Notes of a Native Son. Boston: Beacon Press, 1955.

  6. Gallup. Jones, Jeffrey M. “American Pride Slips to New Low.” Gallup.com, July 1, 2025.

  7. Rorty, Richard. Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998.