On a recent visit to a wealthy historical enclave in Virginia, I was hit with a now-familiar sight of dozens of Ukrainian and Pride flags fluttering in front of businesses and homes. The only (small) American flags to be found anywhere in town were hitched to a few lighting fixtures on main street, a pathetic nod to patriotism put there for the tourists by the local chamber of commerce.

It’s unsurprising. For many on the Left, overt displays of patriotism have long been viewed as at best unsophisticated and at worst an expression of our chauvinistic attitudes. Over the past couple of decades, however, that disdain for patriotism has evolved into something far more pernicious.