ABSTRACT
AmeriC'J is a land without memory .... Those of us who ilrc middle-aged or older have al! had the experience of talking 10 people in their twenties about some centr',d pan of our experience and finding an utter lack of recognition, In college classes todar (""Ven a reference [0 Vietnam is likely [0 produce blank Slares. l
American patriotism has btx'Ome a high priority in the present age. Like most current and oftentimes longstanding nat ional pastimes, it represents pan of a d iscoursc3 that historically has remained distiJl(.1 from emancipatory versions of democracy, Citizenship, and public life. The resurgent discourse of patriotism sweeping the United States is pan of a wave of nationalistic chauvinism that has culminated in a series of recent events: the invasion of Grenada, the bombing of Lib}".!, and the fervent fanfare surrounding the anniversary of the Statue of Li berty.
