This is an extract from a much longer article. You can download the FREE PDF.
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The Illusion of Patriotism
Patriotism in Australia has become a cultural fault line. Each January, the debate over Australia Day erupts with renewed intensity, pitting those who celebrate national pride against those who mourn the legacy of colonisation. In 2026, the divide felt sharper than ever. One half of the country waved flags and fired up barbecues; the other half dismissed them as “bogans”, “RWNJs”, and relics of an outdated nationalism.
But beneath the noise lies a deeper question: what happens to a nation when it no longer respects its patriots? And more importantly, who will defend a country when the moment of crisis arrives?
This tension — between the need for national defence and the cultural disdain for those most willing to provide it — sits at the heart of The Reluctant Patriot. It’s a reflection shaped by lived experience, historical analysis, and a philosophical interrogation of what patriotism has become in a globalised world.
A Personal Journey: From Conscript to Critic
The story begins in apartheid‑era South Africa, where young white men (like me) were conscripted into the South African Defence Force. The author served as a lieutenant during the Border War, indoctrinated with the belief that he was defending his country from communist “terrorists”. The war was framed as existential — a fight for a cherished way of life.
Then, almost overnight, the narrative collapsed.
The ANC was unbanned. Mandela walked free. Apartheid fell. The very people branded as enemies became the legitimate government. Conscription ended. And the sacrifices demanded of an entire generation were revealed as politically convenient, not morally necessary.
This reversal created a lifelong scepticism: who truly benefits from patriotic sacrifice? And why is it almost always the working class who pay the price?
Patriotism as a Tool of Exploitation
Patriotism, at its best, is noble — a love of community, a willingness to protect one’s home. But in practice, it is often manipulated by elites who reap the benefits while others bear the costs.
Throughout history:
The working class fights the wars.
The elite define the wars.
The elite profit from the wars.
The working class buries the dead.
This pattern is not unique to South Africa. It appears in every major conflict:
The Vietnam War draft disproportionately targeted working‑class Americans while wealthier students secured deferments.
Australia’s “birthday ballot” conscription system sent boys from the bush to Vietnam while university students largely avoided service.
Even today, volunteer militaries recruit most heavily from disadvantaged communities seeking stability, training, or escape.
The officer–enlisted divide reinforces this class hierarchy. Officers — often university‑educated and middle‑class — make the decisions. Enlisted soldiers — often working‑class — carry the risk.
Patriotism becomes a currency extracted from the poor to secure the interests of the powerful.
The Fragility of Alliances and the Absurdity of “Eternal Enemies”
History shows that enemies and allies are temporary labels, not eternal truths.
The US and Japan fought a brutal war; now they are strategic partners.
Europe spent centuries at war; now it is a union.
The US and Vietnam killed millions of each other’s citizens; now they cooperate against China.
South Africa’s apartheid government fought the ANC; now the ANC governs.
If today’s enemy becomes tomorrow’s ally, what does that say about the meaning of patriotic sacrifice? How many lives were lost for causes that evaporated with the next political shift?
This impermanence exposes the uncomfortable truth: patriotism is often a narrative tool, not a moral compass.
Philosophical Arguments: The Case For and Against Patriotism
A cursory glance at the philosophical landscape surrounding patriotism, showing that the debate is far older — and more complex — than modern culture wars suggest.
Arguments in favour:
Hobbes saw patriotism as a practical necessity — the glue that prevents society from descending into chaos.
Rousseau believed patriotism cultivates civic virtue and binds individuals to the common good.
Communitarians like MacIntyre and Sandel argue that patriotism is part of identity — we are shaped by our communities.
Mill saw patriotism as justified when it protects liberty and human flourishing.
Arguments against:
Camus warned that patriotism can be an escape from personal responsibility — a way to surrender moral agency.
Gramsci argued that patriotism is a tool of ruling‑class hegemony, used to mask exploitation.
Arendt cautioned that patriotism easily mutates into nationalism, with catastrophic consequences.
Nietzsche saw patriotism as herd mentality, though he acknowledged its potential to inspire cultural vitality.
The tension between these views mirrors the tension in modern societies: patriotism is both necessary and dangerous, noble and corruptible.
Who Bears the Burden?
The data is unequivocal: the working class disproportionately serves, fights, and dies.
Why?
Because:
The military offers stability to those with fewer economic options.
Recruitment campaigns target working‑class values — strength, loyalty, adventure.
The elite have alternative pathways to success and safety.
Structural inequalities make military service a rational choice for some and an unnecessary burden for others.
This is not accidental. It is the predictable outcome of policy, culture, and class.
Modern Ironies: Australia Day and the Cognitive Dissonance of Patriotism
The Australia Day protests of 2026 crystallised the contradictions of modern patriotism.
On one side:
Flag‑waving Australians celebrating national pride.
On the other:
Activists burning the flag, denouncing the nation, and rejecting the very idea of patriotism.
The irony is stark: Many who reject patriotism in peacetime will expect patriotic sacrifice in wartime.
When the first shots are fired, it won’t be the cultural elites or the Twitter activists who stand a post. It will be the very people they mock — the “bogans”, the working class, the quiet patriots who still believe in defending home and community.
This is the uncomfortable truth at the centre of the debate:
A nation that despises its patriots may one day find itself without defenders.
Towards Solutions: Reclaiming Patriotism Without Exploitation
The essay argues that the answer is not to abandon patriotism, nor to blindly embrace it, but to rebuild it:
Patriotism must be grounded in mutual respect, not class contempt.
Sacrifice must be justified transparently, not manipulated for elite gain.
The burden of defence must be shared equitably, not dumped on the poor.
National identity must be inclusive, not weaponised.
Dialogue must replace derision.
The goal is a patriotism that protects people rather than exploiting them — a patriotism that acknowledges history without being paralysed by it, and that values those willing to defend the nation rather than mocking them.
Conclusion: The Reluctant Patriot’s Warning
Patriotism is essential, but it is also dangerous.
A nation needs people willing to defend it. But those people deserve respect, honesty, and fairness. They deserve a country that values their sacrifice rather than treating them as punchlines.
The cultural elites who sneer at patriotism may one day rely on the very people they ridicule. And when that day comes, it will be the “bogans” — the ordinary, unfashionable, unpretentious Australians — who pick up a weapon and stand a post.
The challenge for modern Australia is to bridge the divide before the next crisis arrives.
Until then, maybe it is time to go on strike.
