Patriotic orthodoxy and U.S. decline

Abstract

Debate over the National Air and Space Museum's Enola Gay exhibit revealed important changes in what can be called “patriotic orthodoxy” (a useful term in that it captures the sensibilities of certain forces, although its opponents were hardly “antipatriotic”). For self-proclaimed patriots-the Air Force Association (AFA), the American Legion, and their corporate and Congressional allies—cultural victory at home, not military power abroad, was the consuming goal.

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Notes on contributors

Michael S. Sherry

Laura Hein and Lane Fenrich provided valuable advice on the substance of this article, while Edward T. Linenthal gave me useful leads and documents regarding the debate.