Betty Jean Craige explicates here the principles and conflicting dynamics of "political dualism" and "political holism." In seeking to redefine an understanding of patriotism (American or other) more in alignment with the accelerating globalization of societies, Craige offers multiple descriptions and meticulously researched--and very current--concrete examples of the forms this conflicting dynamic assumes. Multiply described as the conflict of "tribalism" vs. "globalism," "Jihad vs. McWorld" (following Benjamin R. Barber's article of that title), "hard-core altruism" vs. "soft-core altruism" (after E.O. Wilson), "purity" vs. "mongrelization" (after Salmon Rushdie), and "Allegiance to Men" vs. "Allegiance to Law" (after co-framer of the US Constitution John Adams), the tension between these competing poles of human behavior has risen, and--according to the author--will continue to rise, in response to the growing interdependence of global economies, communication, migration, and environmental concerns. Her argument throughout is that "while political holism is an ideology driven by globalization, it will always be contested by tribalism of some sort." Although focused on "American Patriotism," Craige's highly readable account touches on many international and/or global issues. Among the incidents she recounts for the insight they offer into her theme are the Islamic reaction to the publication of Rushdie's SATANIC VERSES, the saga of Lt. Col. Oliver North and the Iran-Contra controversy, and NEH Director Lynne Cheney's opposition to public funding by her agency of the TV documentary "The Africans" by Ali Mazrui (an internationally distinguished, Kenyan-born political scientist at the University of Michigan). Craige's analysis of the marketing by the Bush administration of the Gulf War through an appeal to patriotism is highly instructive. She gathers together here in a meaningful context, much information that is difficult to track down, and uses it in a brilliant "rhetorical analysis" of the discourse of words and silences, actions and nonactions, and postures and policies that shaped the selling of this egregious example of tribalistic, politically dualistic aggression as a positively valorized (at least within the US) example of patriotism. In a very enlightening part of this critique, Craige also deconstructs the silence of the American corporate media concerning the dissent from the prevailing US popularity of this war demonstrated by former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and US Representative from Texas Henry Gonzalez. Clark convened an International War Crimes Tribunal, consisting of twenty-two judges from eighteen nations, which charged Bush, Powell, Schwartzkopf and others with "crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other criminal acts and high crimes in violation of the Charter of the United Nations, international law, [and] the Constitution of the United States...", and found them guilty. Representative Gonzalez called for Bush's impeachment and submitted a House Resolution (number 86) of five articles detailing the illegal and impeachable conduct of the president in carrying out the Gulf War. How many of us ever heard about either of these highly placed and articulate protests? By their silence, the American media endorsed the unquestioned, uncritical acceptance of patriotism as agressive tribalism. While the tension between "self" and "other"--whether on the level of the individualized ego, the pre-industrial tribe, the cultural or ethnic group or community, or the sovereign nation--has been endemic to the human condition at large for centuries, and thus appears inevitable, Craige holds out hope that we may yet learn the value of cooperation over competition, if only as a last-ditch survival strategy. That the concept of patriotism as something good and true and admirable is still relevant in the increasingly interconnected global village, Craige leaves no doubt. Citing Ramsey Clark's definition of patriotism as "a personal commitment to make one's country honest and just in all its acts" and to "motivate the whole country to be as good a neighbor in the community of nations as the conscience of individuals makes them to be in the communities where they live," Craige clearly believes that this kind of politically holistic, global patriotism must prevail if we, as a species, are to survive. AMERICAN PATRIOTISM IN A GLOBAL SCOIETY is required reading for "Planetary Citizenship 101."

Betty Jean Craige is an integrative thinker who lucidly weaves together strands of information from many fields to create important insights about contemporary culture. Her subject here is "the emergence of cultural holism," and some of the various strands in her loom of information are philosophy (ancient, modern and postmodern), history, natural science (Darwinian, systems and chaos theory; ecology), literature and literary theory, education, religion, feminism, civil rights, and animal rights--to name only these. Craige's interdisciplinary research and writing, which she says is based on the assumption that "the understanding of any aspect of a culture requires an understanding of the whole," includes several very readable books. LAYING THE LADDER DOWN (a metaphor referring to the deconstruction--figurative and literal--of the hierachical vertical social order that has prevailed since prehistory) goes a long way in helping us to behold the larger design of the whole of the complex human tapestry we call culture