“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.”
A Voice Crying in the Wilderness (Vox Clamantis in Deserto) (1990)
Has Man a Future? (1962), p. 78
1960s
“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.”
A Voice Crying in the Wilderness (Vox Clamantis in Deserto) (1990)
“[The pamphlet] was very patriotic. That is, it talked about killing foreigners.”
Source: Monstrous Regiment
“What’s Wrong with Being Proud?”
Pieces of Eight (1982)
Context: Patriotism is proud of a country’s virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country’s virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, “the greatest,” but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is.
“This country is worth dying for.”
Interview with Glenn Greenwald, 6 June 2013, Part 1
“True patriots all; for be it understood
We left our country for our country’s good.”
Prologue written for the Opening of the Play-house at New South Wales, Jan. 16, 1796. Compare: "'T was for the good of my country that I should be abroad", George Farquhar, The Beaux’ Stratagem, Act iii, scene 2.
“A patriot is someone who cares what happens in their country.”
Spoken during an interview on CBC Radio One on the 17th of November 2006.
“It is the duty of every patriot to protect his country from its government.”
Edward Abbey, "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." as written in "A Voice Crying in the Wilderness" (Vox Clamantis en Deserto): Notes from a Secret Journal (1990), ISBN 0312064888.
Misattributed
"Purely Personal Prejudices" http://books.google.com/books?id=DLcEAQAAIAAJ&q=%22The+difference+between+patriotism+and+nationalism++is+that+the+patriot+is+proud+of+his+country+for+what+it+does+and+the+nationalist+is+proud+of+his+country+no+matter+what+it+does+the+first+attitude+creates+a+feeling+of+responsibility+but+the+second+a+feeling+of+blind+arrogance+that+leads+to+war%22&pg=PA228#v=onepage
Strictly Personal (1953)