But I’m inclined to think that the author intends to apply it to others beyond those who: hold America to the strictest possible standards of behavior and always put the darkest posssible interpretation on everything it does

Our standards of behavior (as a military, anyways) are the strictest and highest in the world. But there are those like Dotty who would impose impossibly or unreasonabley strict standards of behavior upon our men and women of the Military. And then bash them when they don’t live up to that ideal.

And I do believe that the men and women who do/have served in the US Military are more patriotic than those who have chosen not to serve. I think serving in the military is the most patriotic thing one can do.

Other’s hold the right (ironically because of those patriotic soldiers) to think that bashing those who serve is more patriotic.

Because- God forbid- if we would hold America to the strictest possible standards of behavior…

It brings to mind a famous quote about the ‘soft bigotry of low expectations…’

It’s always surprised me that those who would lower our national standards of behavior fancy themselves to be more patriotic than the rest of us because clearly their type of patriotism is the clannish, tribal variety-that exists in every country- rather than the pride in our founding institutions and principles.