--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do think you can see, throughout…" description: "\"I do think you can see, throughout American history, this temptation, and it's both a liberal and a conservative temptation, to take a healthy patrioti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/ross-douthat-2949_american-history_i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-americ_279896.png" --- # I do think you can see, throughout American history, this… ![“I do think you can see, throughout American history, this temptation, and it's both a liberal and a conservative temptation, to take a healthy patriotism a little too far. For liberals the temptation is to say the purpose of politics is to straightforwardly bring the kingdom of God to Earth. For…” quote by Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/ross-douthat-2949_american-history_i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-americ_279896.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/ross-douthat-2949_american-history_i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-americ_279896.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/ross-douthat-2949_american-history_i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-americ_279896.png) > “I do think you can see, throughout American history, this temptation, and it's both a liberal and a conservative temptation, to take a healthy patriotism a little too far. For liberals the temptation is to say the purpose of politics is to straightforwardly bring the kingdom of God to Earth. For conservatives, I talk about Glenn Beck, the temptation is more apocalyptic and messianic, it's the temptation to say we did have a covenant with God, a literal covenant beginning with the Founding, and we are, like Israel in the Old Testament, falling away from it.” [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Both liberal and conservative Americans can overextend patriotism: liberals may seek to impose divine purpose politically, while conservatives may adopt apocalyptic, covenant‑like narratives. **In simple terms:** Excessive patriotism can become ideological extremism on both sides. Key Takeaway Beware of politicizing faith and history. Themes politics patriotism ideology Mood cautious critical thoughtful Type analysis commentary political discourse When to use this quote - public discourse - policy making - education - media analysis - civic engagement Key Concepts theology national identity extremism Questions to Reflect On - How can patriotism be expressed responsibly? - What safeguards prevent ideological overreach? A Different Perspective Such narratives risk polarizing society and undermining pluralism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Covenant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/covenant/) [Covenant with god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/covenant-with-god/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Kingdom of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdom-of-god/) [Kingdoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kingdoms/) [Old testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-testament/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Temptation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temptation/) [Testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/testament/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Government serves Christ's kingdom rule; this is its purpose. And Christians' purpose in politics should be to advance the kingdom of God - to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hawley/government-serves-christ-s-kingdom-rule-this-is-its-purpose-and/) [Josh Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hawley/) > [The purpose of politics is to give people tools to make the most of their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-purpose-of-politics-is-to-give-people-tools-to-make-the-most-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Politics, as I never tire of saying, is for social and emotional misfits, handicapped folk, those with a grudge. The purpose of politics is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auberon-waugh/politics-as-i-never-tire-of-saying-is-for-social-and-emotional/) [Auberon Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auberon-waugh/) > [Freedom and opportunity are precious gifts and the purpose of our politics is to expand them, for all our people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/freedom-and-opportunity-are-precious-gifts-and-the-purpose-of-our/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [There is a circus around politics. But if you think it is a game, then you forget what the purpose of politics actually is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-lamont/there-is-a-circus-around-politics-but-if-you-think-it-is-a-game-then/) [Johann Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-lamont/) > [The Democratic Party will now stick with its guy forever, no matter how harmful he is. Perhaps you call that loyalty, and perhaps there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/the-democratic-party-will-now-stick-with-its-guy-forever-no-matter/) [Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/) > [In my opinion, serving the common good is the true purpose of politics and is also the perspective through which our community should consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-lam/in-my-opinion-serving-the-common-good-is-the-true-purpose-of-politics/) [Carrie Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-lam/) > [“The purpose of politics is to keep voters hopeful so they keep on voting”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patson-phala/the-purpose-of-politics-is-to-keep-voters-hopeful-so-they-keep-on/) Patson Phala > [“All who put their ultimate trust and allegiance in God (Ex. 20: 3-11) and are truly committed to loving and serving their fellow human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-daily/all-who-put-their-ultimate-trust-and-allegiance-in-god-ex-20-3-11-and/) [Steve Daily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-daily/) > [Are you fleeing from Love because of a single humiliation? What do you know of Love except the name? Love has a hundred forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/are-you-fleeing-from-love-because-of-a-single-humiliation-what-do-you/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“The gospel is the good news that God is doing a completely new thing in Jesus - demonstrating divine righteousness, making people right in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-toews/the-gospel-is-the-good-news-that-god-is-doing-a-completely-new-thing/) John E Toews > [The world is like a courtroom, with God as our judge. We are called upon to fulfill our covenant with God, who asked, "Am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/the-world-is-like-a-courtroom-with-god-as-our-judge-we-are-called/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Look, you mad tart, I have a covenant with God, which is: I don't mention that he has stocked the world full of villains,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/look-you-mad-tart-i-have-a-covenant-with-god-which-is-i-don-t-mention/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [Abraham was extremely wealthy and he had a covenant with God. It's not the Jewish blessing, it's the Abrahamic blessing. I get excited talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-copeland/abraham-was-extremely-wealthy-and-he-had-a-covenant-with-god-it-s-not/) [Kenneth Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-copeland/) > [“No, their weapons will not be carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. They will go to the Covenant God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/various/no-their-weapons-will-not-be-carnal-but-mighty-through-god-to-the/) Various ## More by Ross Douthat > [Human beings seek community, and permanent openness is hard to sustain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/human-beings-seek-community-and-permanent-openness-is-hard-to-sustain/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [The American intelligentsia has been pretty secular for a long time. There have always been figures like Oprah Winfrey, let's put it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/the-american-intelligentsia-has-been-pretty-secular-for-a-long-time/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [On the evidence we have, the meritocratic ideal ends up being just as undemocratic as the old emphasis on inheritance and tradition, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/on-the-evidence-we-have-the-meritocratic-ideal-ends-up-being-just-as/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [“The physical vanity of the diet-and-exercise obsessive is recast as the pursuit of a kind of ritual purity, hedged about with taboos and guilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/the-physical-vanity-of-the-diet-and-exercise-obsessive-is-recast-as/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [There were times at Harvard when I actually longed to hang out with a few more Trotskyists, rather than yet another set of future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/there-were-times-at-harvard-when-i-actually-longed-to-hang-out-with-a/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Many things about American life, that even secular people consider good, have flowed from the presence of a robust, resilient institutional Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/many-things-about-american-life-that-even-secular-people-consider/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [“What he felt during his Spanish encounter with left-wing anti-Christianity was similar to his reactions to the anti-Christianity of the right. The "novelty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/what-he-felt-during-his-spanish-encounter-with-left-wing-anti/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [“In an age of stagnant or declining birthrates, too, these communities’ willingness to heed the admonition to be fruitful and multiply has led to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/in-an-age-of-stagnant-or-declining-birthrates-too-these-communities/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [America's problem isn't too much religion or too little of it. It's bad religion: the slow-motion collapse of traditional Christianity and the rise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/america-s-problem-isn-t-too-much-religion-or-too-little-of-it-it-s/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Where conservative Catholics have the power to resist what seem like false ideas or disastrous innovations they must do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/where-conservative-catholics-have-the-power-to-resist-what-seem-like/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [It is not white nationalism to believe that countries like the United States would be better off with more babies. That belief can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/it-is-not-white-nationalism-to-believe-that-countries-like-the-united/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Most people want the convenience of the Internet far more than they want the private spaces that older forms of communication protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/most-people-want-the-convenience-of-the-internet-far-more-than-they/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [If you live under a system that claims to have high ideals but seems ineradicably opposed to your own people's flourishing, the desire for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/if-you-live-under-a-system-that-claims-to-have-high-ideals-but-seems/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Our crisis of the house divided was a Christian civil war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/our-crisis-of-the-house-divided-was-a-christian-civil-war/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Independent of the critique I'm making, I'm just trying to paint a more comprehensive portrait of American religion than you get from a right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/independent-of-the-critique-i-m-making-i-m-just-trying-to-paint-a/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) [Explore all 144 Ross Douthat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) ## More American history quotes > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [John Lane has long been recognized as one of the South's finest poets and memoirists. This debut establishes him as one of our finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rash/john-lane-has-long-been-recognized-as-one-of-the-south-s-finest-poets/) [Ron Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rash/) > [No man-made structure in all of American history has been hated so much, by so many, for so long, with such good reason, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/no-man-made-structure-in-all-of-american-history-has-been-hated-so/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We must not falsely teach American history in our schools. We have a law requiring state textbook oversight to guard against frauds like Zinn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/we-must-not-falsely-teach-american-history-in-our-schools-we-have-a/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [“Thanks in part to the rapid mechanization of cotton production in the early 1940s, which ultimately threw millions of farm laborers out of work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/thanks-in-part-to-the-rapid-mechanization-of-cotton-production-in-the/) [James T. Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-patterson/) > [“dark say: berthenia belle never forget the tongue hid name”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-margaret/dark-say-berthenia-belle-never-forget-the-tongue-hid-name/) [Cathleen Margaret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-margaret/) > [Throughout American history many of our social gains and much of our progress toward democracy were made possible by the active intervention of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-washington/throughout-american-history-many-of-our-social-gains-and-much-of-our/) [Harold Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-washington/) > [Modern Democrats aren't the first political party to abuse power - far from it. Obama isn'€™t the first president to abuse executive power -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/modern-democrats-aren-t-the-first-political-party-to-abuse-power-far/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [Medicare and Social Security have created the healthiest and most financially secure generation of senior citizens in American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-walsh/medicare-and-social-security-have-created-the-healthiest-and-most/) [Jim Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-walsh/) > [The school curriculum today, particularly American history, is a shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-school-curriculum-today-particularly-american-history-is-a-shame/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“I used to walk out, at night, to the breakwater which divides the end of the harbor form the broad moor of the salt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/i-used-to-walk-out-at-night-to-the-breakwater-which-divides-the-end/) [Mark Doty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-doty/) [Browse all 685 American history quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do think you can see, throughout American history, this temptation, and it's both a liberal and a conservative temptation, to take a healthy patriotism a little too far. For liberals the temptation is to say the purpose of politics is to straightforwardly bring the kingdom of God to Earth. For conservatives, I talk about Glenn Beck, the temptation is more apocalyptic and messianic, it's the temptation to say we did have a covenant with God, a literal covenant beginning with the Founding, and we are, like Israel in the Old Testament, falling away from it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ross Douthat" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-american-history-this-temptation/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American history" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-american-history-this-temptation/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/ross-douthat-2949_american-history_i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-americ_279896.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/ross-douthat-2949_american-history_i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-americ_279896.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c35/ross-douthat-2949_american-history_i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-americ_279896.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I do think you can see, throughout American history, this temptation, and it's both a liberal and a…” — Ross Douthat", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ross Douthat", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I do think you can see,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-american-history-this-temptation/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/i-do-think-you-can-see-throughout-american-history-this-temptation/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```