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Article: Global terrorism.
- Article from:
- Catholic Insight
- Article date:
- September 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Catholic Insight. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Everyone here is familiar with the phrase, "male chauvinist pig." You may even know one-"ecce homo." ("Behold the man!") The appropriation of the word "chauvinism" by the feminists has, however, robbed it of its original meaning, a meaning that we do well to reflect on.
"Chauvinism" means "exaggerated patriotism" or, following the OED, "bellicose patriotism:" "My country right or wrong!" sums it up pretty well. Today it runs rampant.
What better word is there than chauvinism--"bellicose patriotism"--to describe 9/11 or the suicide bombers in London, Israel, and Iraq? It is patriotism run wild, a loyalty not only to a nation but to a whole culture that ...