What does Patriot mean in America?

Snickers Man

Amercan Fox News anchor and arch numpty Bill O'Reilly has a regular slot on his show called Pinheads and Patriots.

In a recent broadcast, our own Bob Geldof, or as O'Reilly insists on calling him Bob Geldawrrff, got named as a patriot for saying that the Americans were doing a good job in helping to eradicate AIDS in Africa.

According to my dictionary, a patriot is somebody who "defends or is zealous for his country's prosperity, freedom or rights" It comes from patrios meaning "of one's fathers".

Now mobilising charitable efforts in Africa is commendable, but to call it patriotism is, in the true sense of the word, impertinent.

Geldof may be many things but a patriot is something he has never claimed to be. He has always been more critical than complimentary about his own country, from which he has lived apart for more than 30 years. Yet he has never relinquished his Irish citizenship which is odd, because if he did, they would be able to call him Sir Robert. As it is, his knighthood is an honorary title and because he is not the citizen of a commonwealth country he may not officially be referred to as a "Sir".

Ironically, given the recent controversy over Barak Obama's wife saying she was proud of her country "for the first time", Geldof once said exactly the same thing, when he got a cheque for about 7million quid from President Hillery, the proceeds of the Live Aid Telethon in Ireland. He wrote in his autobiography that "I said, for the first time in my life, that I was proud to be Irish."

Good guy? Yes.

Patriot? Not relevant in the context.

Unless patriot means something else in America. Or is it just that O'Reilly is one of those journalists who doesn't know what words properly mean?

Johnnio13

Patriot is a long-range, all-altitude, all-weather air defence system to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft. Patriot (MIM-104) is produced by Raytheon in Massachusetts and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Florida.
"The Patriot missile is a
long-range,
all-altitude,
all-weather air defence system."

As well as the USA, Patriot is in service in Egypt, Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan.

Patriot missile systems were deployed by US forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The systems were stationed in Kuwait and successfully destroyed a number of hostile surface-to-surface missiles using the new PAC-3 and guidance enhanced missiles.

Hee Hee

flogen

In the eyes of Bill O'Reilly, and people like him, someone is patriotic for saying the USA is doing something good and unpatriotic for saying the USA is doing something bad.

It doesn't matter what the substance or validity of their sentence is, nor does it matter who they are or where they're from. Once they have praise to offer, they'll take it.

Of course, while patriotism is hard to define simply saying that a country is good is rarely seen as an accurate explanation.

FlutterinBantam

Tom Brady and Randy Moss are Patriots

Kevster

... ...yes, and they lost to the Giants (Giants fan *points to self*)

leincar

Patriots = Republicans, Southern Baptists, Evangelicals,supporters of the military, gun carriers, and generally people who hate the Clintons. Oh they are quite "strong" on law and order. They tend to love the flag but hate federal government and think the feds should only be involved in defense and the maintaining of roads.

Patriots tent to be anti gay, lesbian and generally anybody who may form an opinion for themselves. They tolerate English speaking foreigners(British, Irish, Aussie, NewZealand And white South African) but woe betide if you speak French, German or Spanish. The 3 fork tongues. In fact Europeans in general are met in parts of the patriots world with a look of utter disdain.

Quite a lot of them also marry their cousins!

Pinheads = Normal people. You know the type. They sometimes think for themselves. Sometimes they are even informed about topics and issues and generally have a live and let live attitude to most things. Some might even be described as liberal or left of centre.

I hate to say this but if there is one thing the famine did for Ireland. It is that Bill O'Reilly's forefathers were forced to emigrate to the states.

This is of course only my opinion. Fair and balanced of course!!!!

irish_bob

leincar wrote: »

Patriots = Republicans, Southern Baptists, Evangelicals,supporters of the military, gun carriers, and generally people who hate the Clintons. Oh they are quite "strong" on law and order. They tend to love the flag but hate federal government and think the feds should only be involved in defense and the maintaining of roads.

Patriots tent to be anti gay, lesbian and generally anybody who may form an opinion for themselves. They tolerate English speaking foreigners(British, Irish, Aussie, NewZealand And white South African) but woe betide if you speak French, German or Spanish. The 3 fork tongues. In fact Europeans in general are met in parts of the patriots world with a look of utter disdain.

Quite a lot of them also marry their cousins!

Pinheads = Normal people. You know the type. They sometimes think for themselves. Sometimes they are even informed about topics and issues and generally have a live and let live attitude to most things. Some might even be described as liberal or left of centre.

I hate to say this but if there is one thing the famine did for Ireland. It is that Bill O'Reilly's forefathers were forced to emigrate to the states.

This is of course only my opinion. Fair and balanced of course!!!!

very well put and witty to boot

smackbunnybaby

is the word patriot used as the word nationalist has too much negative connotations associated with it?

snow scorpion

O'Reilly uses the Pinheads or Patriots segment to call attention to behavior he thinks is good or bad for American culture.

Someone who stands up for American values (like helping those who are unable to help themselves) such as Geldof did get labeled Patriots.

Someone who does something destructive to American values (pretty much any action ever taken by documentarian Michael Moore, for example) get labeled Pinheads.