Declining Patriotism in the United States
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, national pride has plummeted to a historic low. According to Gallup, only about 40% of Americans express pride in their country, a trend most pronounced among younger, educated individuals. This marks a sharp decline from previous decades, when bipartisan support for the nation was common.
The divide is starkly partisan. While Republicans still largely express pride, Democrats—particularly in deep blue states like California and New York—have become increasingly critical. Traditional Fourth of July celebrations, such as the fireworks show in Long Beach, California, have been cancelled, and left-dominated Hollywood is expected to offer muted recognition of the holiday.
Canada's Negative Identity and Shared Challenges
Kotkin argues that these phenomena may please some Canadians, who often define themselves in opposition to the United States. However, he warns that Canada faces similar threats from a growing anti-western ideology. Both countries, along with many European nations, are seeing a decline in patriotism, driven largely by educational and cultural elites.
The education system in almost all Western countries now stresses the perfidy of Western nations, Kotkin writes. History has been reduced to a settler-colonial mantra that views former colonies and colonial powers as inherently illegitimate. In Canada, for example, allegations of unmarked graves at former residential school sites have been largely debunked, yet the media continues to promote a narrative of national illegitimacy.
The Impact on Immigrants and National Unity
Kotkin emphasizes that pride in country is especially important as both societies become dominated by recent immigrants from non-Western countries. Without a shared sense of national identity, newcomers may be influenced by the anti-Western rhetoric pervasive in academia and media. The Manhattan Institute's Reihan Salam notes that Muslim immigrants may not arrive radically anti-Western, but their children's exposure to current academic and media culture breeds hostility to the West.
This is evident in the rise of antisemitic rallies, particularly in Canada, and the emergence of young, affluent, educated cosmopolitans like Hasan Piker and New York's Zohran Mamdani, who reject traditional Western values.
A Call to Reclaim National Pride
Kotkin acknowledges the ugliness in the past of all nations, including America's slavery and brutal treatment of Indigenous populations, as well as Canada's repressive policies toward First Nations. However, he argues that pride in country is essential for societal cohesion. The intellectuals and artists who demean Western civilization have a toxic impact on newcomers from autocratic lands, undermining the very values that attract immigrants.
Both Canada and the United States must embrace a past they can honour, Kotkin concludes, rather than succumb to self-sabotaging ideology that threatens their future.
