What does it mean to love a country with an imperfect past? | The Ethical Life podcast

kAmkDEC@?8mtA:D@56 adaik^DEC@?8m pD E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2AAC@2496D :ED ad_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ[ >2?J p>6C:42?D 2C6 2D<:?8 2 5:77:4F=E BF6DE:@?i w@H D9@F=5 H6 E9:?< 23@FE @FC ?2E:@?’D 9:DE@CJnk^Am

kAmu@C D@>6[ E96 7@4FD :D @? p>6C:42’D 8C62E6DE 249:6G6>6?ED — 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 8@G6C?>6?E[ :?5:G:5F2= =:36CEJ 2?5 64@?@>:4 @AA@CEF?:EJ] u@C @E96CD[ E96 6>A92D:D 72==D @? D=2G6CJ[ D68C682E:@? 2?5 E96 >:DEC62E>6?E @7 }2E:G6 p>6C:42?D] xD :E A@DD:3=6 E@ 24<?@H=6586 3@E9nk^Am

kAmx? E9:D 6A:D@56[ 9@DED #:492C5 zJE6 2?5 $4@EE #252 6IA=@C6 H9J 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 23@FE 9:DE@CJ 92G6 364@>6 D@ 4@?E6?E:@FD 2?5 H96E96C 2 4@F?ECJ 42? C6>2:? F?:E65 H96? :ED 4:E:K6?D k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E962E=2?E:4]4@>^>282K:?6^a_ae^_f^2>6C:42?\9:DE@CJ\4@>>@?\?2CC2E:G6^egfb_`^Qm?@ =@?86C D92C6 2 4@>>@? DE@CJ 23@FE E96:C A2DEk^2m] sC2H:?8 @? A9:=@D@A9J[ 4FCC6?E 6G6?ED 2?5 A6CD@?2= 6IA6C:6?46[ E96J 6I2>:?6 E96 C@=6 DE@C:6D A=2J :? D92A:?8 :56?E:EJ[ 36=@?8:?8 2?5 4:G:4 =:76]k^Am

kAm%96 5:D4FDD:@? 6I2>:?6D H9J A6@A=6 @7E6? 2AAC@249 9:DE@CJ E96 D2>6 H2J E96J 2AAC@249 A@=:E:4D[ D66<:?8 724ED E92E C6:?7@C46 36=:67D E96J 2=C625J 9@=5] zJE6 2C8F6D E92E k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^H:C6]=66]?6E^@A:?:@?^4@=F>?^49:=5C6?\?665\DE@C:6D\E@\=62C?\2?5\6?8286\C:492C5\<JE6^2CE:4=606bf7_h_`\_2ec\dhfh\h277\a5f4ec`555`6]9E>=Qm6G6CJ ?2E:@? C6=:6D @? D92C65 ?2CC2E:G6D E@ 96=A 4:E:K6?D F?56CDE2?5 H96C6 E96J 42>6 7C@>k^2m 2?5 H96C6 E96J 9@A6 E@ 8@] *6E :? 2? :?4C62D:?8=J 7C28>6?E65 4F=EFC6[ 28C66>6?E @? E9@D6 ?2CC2E:G6D 42? 36 5:77:4F=E E@ 249:6G6]k^Am

kAm%96 9@DED 2=D@ E24<=6 E96 4@>A=:42E65 C6=2E:@?D9:A 36EH66? A2EC:@E:D> 2?5 4C:E:4:D>] r2? D@>6@?6 566A=J 2AAC64:2E6 E96:C 4@F?ECJ H9:=6 @A6?=J 24<?@H=658:?8 :ED 72:=FC6Dn w2D A2EC:@E:D> 364@>6 F?72:C=J 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 A@=:E:4Dn p?5 H92E 92AA6?D H96? 46=63C2E:@?D @7 ?2E:@?2= 249:6G6>6?E 2C6 G:6H65 E9C@F89 2 A2CE:D2? =6?Dnk^Am

kAmp=@?8 E96 H2J[ #252 C67=64ED @? 2 G:D:E E@ 2 k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]>28?@=:2A=2?E2E:@?]4@>^Qm$@FE9 r2C@=:?2 A=2?E2E:@?k^2m E92E 4@?7C@?E65 E96 C62=:E:6D @7 D=2G6CJ H:E9@FE 5:>:?:D9:?8 E96 3C@256C p>6C:42? DE@CJ] %96 4@?G6CD2E:@? 6IA=@C6D 9@H >2EFC6 D@4:6E:6D 42? C6>6>36C A2:?7F= 492AE6CD 9@?6DE=J H9:=6 DE:== C64@8?:K:?8 AC@8C6DD[ C6D:=:6?46 2?5 E96 42A24:EJ 7@C D6=7\4@CC64E:@?]k^Am

kAmpD E96 ?2E:@? AC6A2C6D E@ >2C< E9:D 9:DE@C:4 >:=6DE@?6[ zJE6 2?5 #252 DF886DE E92E 8C2E:EF56 2?5 C67=64E:@? 2C6 ?@E @AA@D:?8 :562D] x? 724E[ E96J >2J 56A6?5 @? @?6 2?@E96C] &?56CDE2?5:?8 H96C6 2 4@F?ECJ 92D 72==6? D9@CE 42? 566A6? 2AAC64:2E:@? 7@C :ED 249:6G6>6?ED[ H9:=6 8C2E:EF56 42? AC@G:56 E96 6?6C8J ?66565 E@ 255C6DD C6>2:?:?8 492==6?86D]k^Am