Patriotism is merely a religion–love of country, worship of country, devotion to the country’s flag and honor and welfare.

In absolute monarchies it is furnished from the throne, cut and dried, to the subject; in England and America it is furnished, cut and dried, to the citizen by the politician and the newspaper.

The newspaper-and-politician-manufactured Patriot often gags in private over his dose; but he takes it, and keeps it in his stomach the best he can. Blessed are the meek.

Sometimes, in the beginning of an insane shabby political upheaval, he is strongly moved to revolt, but he doesn’t do it–he knows better. He knows that his maker would find it out–the maker of his Patriotism, the windy and incoherent six-dollar subeditor of his village newspaper–and would bray out in print and call him a Traitor. And how dreadful that would be. It makes him tuck his tail between his legs and shiver. We all know–the reader knows it quite well–that two or three years ago nine tenths of the human tails in England and America performed just that act. Which is to say, nine tenths of the Patriots in England and America turned traitor just to keep from being called traitor. Isn’t it true? You know it to be true. Isn’t it curious?

Mark Twain, “As Regards Patriotism” 1923, from The Complete Essays of Mark Twain