I met and spoke with a diplomat assigned to the US mission to NATO in Brussels tonight and, amongst other things, he discussed how careful he had to be when answering questions in other countries and at home. "I have to distinguish between my two hats. When speaking as an American foreign service officer, I am communicating and explaining American policy. I have to be very explicit when I'm speaking as a private citizen so that people understand that these are my views, not American policy."

Why distinguish? The man replied that whether or not he agreed with his orders, he would execute them and communicate them to his counterparts at NATO.

MLK day is tomorrow and I believe we should also distinguish between patriotism and nationalism. Both, I believe, is a love for one's country; which is nobler? A nationalist, in my mind, would say upon receiving disagreeable instructions, "I disagree with this. But I love my country, and despite my personal disagreement, I will still carry these instructions out." A patriot, would say, in that same situation, "I disagree with this. Because I love my country and I think executing these instructions would harm my country, I will not carry out these instructions."

A patriot would give up, for love of country, his career, his family, his finances: everything material. A nationalist will give up, for love of country, his principles, his conscience and, perhaps, a good night's sleep. Often nationalism and patriotism are indistinguishable because they go hand in hand; often one simply loves one's country and carries out its instructions. But when they do not, which is the greatest sacrifice? Which is the sacrifice that we ought to laud? Most importantly of all, which sacrifice ought the state laud: the nationalist who will sacrifice his soul for his country or the patriot who will sacrifice his life for his country?

A administration of four or even eight years will certainly value the nationalist, but a country bent on executing Rousseau's general must value the patriot. Tthe cost of nationalism is the unthinking, immoral servant of the state but the cost of patriotism is a lack of national coherence and a state's inability to get anything done.

Neither sacrifice is an easy one to make. MLK is the rare example of the patriot who is remembered; how many foreign service officers or government officials leave the government and leave the history texts as well? Nationalism, or at least the way I've defined it, seems almost expected from those who serve the state. There is no glory in either sacrifice. Perhaps, for one moment in MLK Day, we should think about those who have made both those sacrifices and don't receive the glory that MLK does.