Patriotism, Narrative Warfare, and the Possibility of a Long-Planned National Awakening
I have another theory.
As anyone who has read my writings knows, I tend to be both skeptical and cynical at times. Today is no different. This time, however, the topic is patriotism.
I have long believed that the military's information and psychological operations capabilities—what some refer to as the "Ghost in the Machine" or aspects of fifth-generation warfare (5GW)—operate largely behind the scenes, particularly in the realm of narrative.
I also know that President Trump has been telling Americans for years that "THE BEST IS YET TO COME"
More recently, he has repeatedly spoken of America entering a "GOLDEN AGE."
With that in mind, I have been asking myself a question:
How did patriotism in America seem to rise so quickly and so strongly?
Was it truly random?
Was it entirely organic?
Or was at least some of it deliberately encouraged?
Personally, I do not believe in coincidences, especially not on a national or global scale.
Consider this possibility.
If patriotism in America had been declining for years, and if national unity and patriotic spirit were needed for events yet to come, then something significant would have to occur to restore that spirit.
Major criminal convictions of powerful figures might eventually accomplish that, but perhaps the timing is not right for such events.
So what if the strategy was to rebuild patriotism first?
The FIFA World Cup events provide an interesting example. These events were planned years in advance. Their arrival in the United States was not random.
Suddenly, Americans were seeing visitors from all over the world experiencing and celebrating America. Television, news outlets, social media platforms, and online conversations were saturated with images of international visitors enjoying what many called the "American experience."
One visitor even met with President Trump—a moment that some might dismiss as coincidence, while others might see as symbolic narrative reinforcement.
What effect did this have on the American psyche?
In my view, it reignited patriotism in a major way. It also influenced how the rest of the world viewed America. The narrative became one of pride, celebration, and renewed national identity.
Could narrative professionals—whether political strategists, media experts, or even elements of information warfare capabilities—have recognized and amplified this effect?
After all, shaping narratives and public perception is precisely what fifth-generation warfare theories suggest modern influence operations are designed to do.
Then came two enormous patriotic events:
Mount Rushmore celebrations and the Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, D.C. These were not ordinary commemorations.
They felt historic.
The military presence was highly visible.
The symbolism was unmistakable.
Americans had already been psychologically primed to embrace these events enthusiastically.
The reaction was extraordinary.
The online communities I participate in were beyond energized. If my experience reflects broader national sentiment, then patriotism may have reached levels I have not witnessed in my lifetime—and I am old enough to have seen many political and cultural cycles come and go.
Perhaps this was all organic. Perhaps it was not.
My theory is that President Trump and those around him understood that before asking Americans to face difficult, disruptive, or even painful truths in the future, they first needed to rebuild something essential: a shared sense of national identity, patriotism, and unity.
If that is true, then what we are witnessing now is not the end of a process, but the preparation phase.
And if that preparation was intentional, then the question becomes:
What comes next?
We know there have been demoralization ops for years. It only makes sense that inspiration ops are part of the plan.
The world cup foreigners being excited about the US could be organic enough, because people always get along with other people and most foreigners already like the country, but the publicity and media hype around them is absolutely contrived. But it's still a good thing, and very welcome.
We know what comes next, because Q. Mass deportations, mass arrests, military tribunals for corrupt politicians, probably open martial law and all normal media interrupted. We just don't know when.
TY, it's good to see that i'm not the only one thinking this
I was one who was enchanted by the stories.
Me too! I love 'em. They're a lot of fun.
Good stories exist all around us, all the time. But the media chooses what to show us, and they rarely choose to show us the good news. The fact that media is contrived doesn't make the stories any less valid.
The more you tell me you have control the more I start to doubt it.
Good now start the arresting and public trials and executions
The real reason for rise in patriotism was the 4 years of "Biden".
And the fatigue
Plz elaborate. I dont know what u mean
The fatigue because we're at the bottom of the 4 generation generational cycle.
Moving up from the bottom of that cycle is another reason we're seeing a rise in patriotism and nationalism.
that did help
I won't feel patriotic until the pedophiles are executed. I'm not patriotic about being a tax slave for child rapists and murderers.
Good one! I would say that we are patriotic because our government is uniquely designed to allow us expression of individual power that is native to us by divine right, and our ancestors wanted us to remember that. We said the pledge every day as children. The Trump team may have realized we needed to boost that recognition, hence all the videos about Europeans praising American life. And the big celebrations (They were fun, weren't they?).
it's been crazy fun for a few wks starting w all the X vids of the FIFA visitors. last nite was amazing!
You better believe that.
Hmmm…perhaps (in part) the end of taxpayer funded gangsta rap by way of clowns in America and USAIDs?
Except for forty-eleven radical, progressive, communist, narcissistic judges. . .just saying.
Interesting take that the few people who kept up with the fans reactions post-game, during a game event most Americans don’t even watch, is reigniting patriotism across the country… Guess we’ll see.
I want to chime in with anecdotal evidence: yesterday I was reading reddit and saw a number of posts, pretty clearly of the ragebaiting variety, asking people if they celebrate / why celebrate / do you fly a flag for, Independence Day.
Observations:
The usual, nattering, "Fuck the USA!", "I'd only fly the flag upside down!", etc nonsense.
A, seemingly, larger than normal minority expressing genuine patriotic pride, and especially more people than typical also offering rebutals to the people in group #1. A couple of "maybe you should fly the British flag" type replies made me chuckle. Replies of this type are generally fewer than original comments expressing "dissent" as bans are still swift on Reddit, and replying often gives the mods an excuse to claim you're being "antagonistic" to specific individuals (bullies and abusers don't like "receiving"). Bravery and DGAFism is up.
A weird number of people saying stuff like "I celebrate out of spite", "I'm taking patriotism back from the MAGA assholes" or "I fly the flag next to my pride flag, it's my country too". It's weird; a perverse patriotism movement seems to be underway on the left. It's toxic and... bitter, but it's fascinating to me. I could see it being a priming for a true national pride to occur after certain reveals are made. I have not seen anything like it before.
So yes, OP, it seems to me you are correct. o7
i gave ai my theory n ur comment. this is the response. interesting!
That comment is interesting because it highlights something political scientists and social psychologists have observed before: national identity can re-emerge in unexpected ways, and not always for the same reasons across different groups.
From the perspective of your theory, you would interpret this as evidence that a broader patriotic awakening is occurring across ideological lines. The commenter's observation that some people on the political left are saying things like "I'm taking patriotism back" or "it's my country too" could fit your idea that a more generalized sense of national identity is being reactivated.
However, there are a few reasons to be cautious about treating this as strong evidence:
Reddit is not representative of the general population. Different subreddits have different cultures, moderation practices, and demographics. What appears to be a large shift in one community may not reflect broader society. Anecdotal observations can identify patterns, but they don't prove causes. Humans are very good at noticing patterns that fit our expectations. If you're already considering a patriotism-revival theory, comments supporting that theory will naturally stand out more.
Patriotism is not always partisan. Historically, national symbols and patriotic expression have often been contested terrain. Groups that feel excluded from patriotism sometimes attempt to redefine it rather than reject it. For example, "This country belongs to us too" is itself a patriotic argument, even when expressed in opposition to another political movement.
That said, the phenomenon the commenter describes is real and worth thinking about:
"I celebrate out of spite."
"I'm taking patriotism back."
"I fly the American flag because it's my country too."
Those are not anti-national sentiments. They're actually expressions of ownership over national identity. The emotional motivation may differ—pride, defiance, belonging, resistance—but the underlying premise is the same: the nation itself remains something worth claiming and defending.
From the standpoint of your theory, this is where things become intriguing. If patriotism begins appearing simultaneously among groups that traditionally opposed each other's symbols and narratives, one could argue that a larger unifying identity is emerging beneath the partisan conflict.
A more conventional explanation would be that after years of intense polarization, many Americans—across the political spectrum—may simply be experiencing fatigue with perpetual conflict and rediscovering a shared national identity. Large public celebrations, geopolitical uncertainty, and social media amplification could all contribute to that shift.
The part of your theory that I find most analytically interesting is not necessarily whether there is a hidden coordinating force, but rather the strategic question you're asking:
If a nation anticipated a period of major upheaval, accountability, or transformation, would leaders first seek to rebuild national cohesion and patriotic identity?
Historically, the answer to that question is often yes. Governments and political movements have frequently attempted to strengthen national identity before undertaking major societal changes or asking populations to endure hardship.
So while a Reddit thread isn't evidence that your broader theory is correct, it does illustrate something that your theory is attempting to explain: a perception that patriotism itself may be becoming more socially acceptable, more emotionally resonant, and perhaps more broadly shared than it has been in recent years.
Whether that shift is organic, encouraged, amplified, or some combination of all three is the part that remains open to interpretation.
We as in isreal?
IMHO it never declined we were shamed into silence.
next in a decade, huh?