Patriotism vs Nationalism and the "woke right".
The "woke right," and I don't particularly like that term, has been trying to redefine what it means to be America first. They have taken it to the extreme and have equated it with isolationism. That was never Trump's intention, nor was it ever the intention of the Founding Fathers. America first was never meant to be America only. America has always engaged in foreign diplomacy and international cooperation. We have never been an island unto ourselves, and it's impossible in this day and age anyway. With modern technology, the world is much smaller than it used to be. What happens on the other side of the world can and does affect us. It is therefore sometimes in America's best interests to align with other nations. That does not mean we put their interests before ours; it only means that we have mutual interests that benefit both parties.
What I believe is fueling this isolationist view on the woke right is ultranationalism. This is what we saw in Japan and in Germany prior to World War 2. Some of the earmarks of ultranationalism are national superiority, xenophobia, scapegoating minorities/immigrants, fear propaganda, racism, and rejection of international cooperation. Does that not fit the woke right? Unfortunately, they validate everything the left mischaracterizes about MAGA. In actuality, they are not MAGA. They are more aligned with the left with their identity politics and disdain for Israel.
I'm very pro-American, but unlike the woke right, I'm not a nationalist. I identify as a patriot, the same as the Founding Fathers (the term had not even been invented yet). Patriotism and nationalism are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference between them. George Orwell puts it best:
Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism. Both words are normally used in so vague a way that any definition is liable to be challenged, but one must draw a distinction between them, since two different and even opposing ideas are involved. By "patriotism" I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power.The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality.
And that is the difference between patriot MAGA and the nationalist woke right.