Patriotism as a Tool of the State
The State needs to use tools such as patriotism to try to align the people with its geopolitical interests.
The general public accepts to use phrases - like “national interest” - that are coined by elite institutions such as universities, banks, and think tanks, close to political power. This is another sign that shows that the general public implicitly and often unwittingly accepts that it has no say in the foreign policy of its government.
However, society’s ruling minority is undoubtedly aware that their geopolitical interests are not shared by the people. Those who serve the State at the highest levels either inside or outside, rely on several methods in order to maintain this inherently undemocratic status quo. The best way to do this is to make use of the weaknesses of human nature. For example, a general inclination for conservatism and tradition – pace wokism - can be relied upon for the public's support of the established political system, whichever it is, simply because it is the existing system; the one that the people know.
Additionally, a natural sense of patriotism is also very useful in order to align the interests of the people with the interests of the State. Patriotic feeling is often encouraged by governments and militaries in order to gain the support of the people for the realisation of the “national interest”; the nation-states’s geopolitical interests.
It is no coincidence that patriotic feeling is so strong in the United States, the nation-state whose government is obsessed with the realisation of its geopolitical interests, regardless of the negative impact to other societies. Indeed, in the US patriotic fervour is often whipped up when needed. The patriotism of “rallying 'round the flag” can then take extreme proportions: not displaying the correct patriotic feelings (e.g. “Support our troops!”). Not displaying the correct patriotic attire (e.g. the flag on the lapel or on the porch), can even have social consequences, such as being frozen out of the community, being passed over for promotion, etc.
But this situation is of course not exclusive to the USA: in Russia, China, and many other nation-states as well, patriotism and even nationalism are used successfully to align the population with the State’s interests.