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My Country, Right or Wrong: Difference between revisions
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The title is a common variation from a quote from American naval commander Stephen Decatur, as seen above. Later, American Senator Carl Schurz gave his own interpretation: "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."
Compare [[My Master, Right or Wrong]], [[Lawful Stupid]], [[Just Following Orders]]. ''Please'' do not confuse with [[Country Matters]], which is about something else entirely.
{{noreallife|the nature of patriotism, and indeed the question of whether patriotism in ''any'' form is desirable, is a [[YMMV Trope]], and we don't need the [[Edit War]]s.}}
{{examples}}
▲== Anime & Manga ==
* Most of the cast of ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' are soldiers of the evil Amestris. The average soldier only cares about fighting for their country and the good of the people, it just so happens that it involves the occasional massacre. Roy Mustang's entire storyline is about his plan to overthrow Fuehrer King Bradley, who, like the ''Gundam'' example below, is based off of Hitler. Roy can then become the new leader so he can bring peace to Amestris.
* A few of the Zeon from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' are portrayed as this. It just so happens that Gihren Zabi is [[A Nazi by Any Other Name|based off of Hitler]].
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* ''[[Naruto]]'': Danzo lives this trope. His catchphrase could be 'for the good of Konoha.'
** {{spoiler|Uchiha Itachi as well. Even in death he is loyal to Konoha.}} Most of his plans were devoted to imparting this mindset on {{spoiler|his brother Sasuke}} as well. Things didn't exactly turn out that way.
== Comic Books ==
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{{quote|'''Clerk:''' Citizenship?
'''Man:''' Put "contradictory"... }}
== Film ==
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** Hauptman Muesel in ''[[The Guns of Navarone]]''.
** General Wilhem Bittrich in ''[[A Bridge Too Far]]''.
** The [[La Résistance|German Resistance]] in ''[[Valkyrie (film)|Valkyrie]]''.
** The German sergeant who nobly refuses to give up intelligence information in ''[[Inglourious Basterds]]'' and {{spoiler|gets [[Batter Up|his head bashed in with a baseball bat]] for it}}.
** More recently, the Japanese during WWII began to receive the same treatment (especially in ''[[Letters From Iwo Jima]]'').
* Centauri 7's attitude in ''[[Hunter Prey]]''.
== Literature ==
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** Indeed, Cachat's [[The Plan]] in "Fanatic" depended on the majority of the Havenite officers and enlisted being decent people, ''including'' many of the [[State Sec]] officers (consider that [[State Sec]] is normally presented as [[Lawful Evil]], and only ''mildly'' lawful at that). Of course, a man in Cachat's position would be in a position to guess which way those particular [[State Sec]] officers would move.
** Another Havenite example was Amos Parnell, the former head of their space navy. Thought executed, he was discovered and rescued from a prison planet, and despite having every reason to utterly hate the current government of Haven, refused to provide intelligence that would directly assist the Manticorans in battle against Havenite forces. However, he does testify about the coup and helps destroy the new government's prestige.
{{quote|'''Admiral Parnell''': Still, I suppose a little of that same idealism still clings to me, too. What an amazing thing. Forty years of naval service, dozens of cold-blooded campaigns under my belt - hell, I'm the one who drew up the plans to begin ''this'' war! I screwed them up, of course, but I was damned straight the one who authorized 'em. And eight more years here on Hell, on top of all that. And still there's something down inside me that insists the drunk-rolling whore I served is a great, shining lady who deserves to have me lay down my life in her defense.}}
*** In contrast, he convinces the much younger and more idealistic Havenite officer Warner Caslet to defect. When Caslet attempts to invoke this trope, Parnell shuts him down. "Son, you don't have a country anymore." Consider that recent circumstances outside his control had pretty much guaranteed that Caslet would be executed or [[Unperson|disappeared]] if he returned to Havenite territory.
** Thomas Theisman articulates this thought several times when considering Alfredo Yu, his own mentor who defected, and Warner Caslet, one of his subordinates whom he considers an honest, integral man who wanted nothing more than to defend his nation and was driven into defection. Theisman understands and empathises with them both, while still deciding that he cannot follow in their footsteps because he is loyal to the Republic, if not to its leadership. Theisman himself, however, is someone who takes the full Schulz quote as his motto, including the part about "if wrong, to be set right." {{spoiler|At the end of Book 9, he shoots Citizen Chairman Saint-Just and restores the old Republic.}}
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* ''Soldier X'' might fit here. The main character talks about how, as a teacher, the new students always stare at him because he is missing an arm. When they inevitably ask about it, he reveals that he lost it in WWII and someone always comments "it had to be done". However, the main character was a conscript in the Wehrmacht (although it is a little more complicated...).
* In ''[[The Three Musketeers (novel)|The Three Musketeers]]'', Rochefort is depicted as an honourable opponent of the eponymous musketeers. Although, there, it's more a case of "My Boss (Cardinal Richelieu), Right or Wrong", as both he and the musketeers are loyal to France.
* In ''[[
* Eric von Shrakenberg of ''[[The Draka]]'' takes this trope to a whole new level, given that the country he is fighting for is the Domination of Draka, which makes Nazi Germany look tame by comparison. Although he views the Draka ideology and society as a cultural dead-end, he is arguably the single most important individual in Draka history, playing a key role in both the [[World War II|Eurasian War]] and [[World War III|The Final War]].
* In ''[[Ruled Britannia]]'', an [[Alternate History]] novel where the Spanish Armada succeeded and occupied England, [[William Shakespeare]] (Yes, ''the'' William Shakespeare) admits that, if given a choice, he probably would chose to follow the Roman Catholic traditions of Spain as opposed to the Protestant teachings of England, but he refuses to let these traditions be forced onto the country at gunpoint. Thusly, he helps launch the rebellion that topples the government of Queen Isabella and frees the imprisoned Queen Elizabeth, even if that means he will need to become a Protestant again, because, at least then, it would be by England's choice.
* A minor recurring theme in the [[1632]] series, as we repeatedly see people from "enemy" nations who recognize based on the foresight/hindsight provided by reading the uptime history books that their countries are in the wrong at LEAST practically if not morally (such as upholding serfdom), but serve their country regardless even when rulers fail to recognize the warnings.
== Live-Action TV ==
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* In ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', this trope is Gul Dukat's explanation for switching his allegiance to the new, democratic Cardassian government in an earlier season. The fact that this quasi-[[Heel Face Turn]] took place shortly after it became obvious that the old regime was going to lose [[Blatant Lies|is purely coincidental]].
* A variation of this is spoken of by [[The Captain|Jonathan Archer]] in ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' in the [[Mirror Universe]] episode "In a Mirror, Darkly", where he claims that Starfleet officers are loyal to the Terran Emperor, not the person currently occupying the throne. All one has to do is to successfully overthrow the government and name oneself Emperor, and the military will support him or her.
* In the ''[[Babylon 5]]'' episode "Endgame", General Lefcourt leads the ships loyal to the Clark regime. As he puts it, "I'm from the old school: a soldier doesn't take up arms against his own government, no matter how justified you feel doing it." That said, when {{spoiler|President Clark sets up Earth's defense grid to scorch the planet rather than let Sheridan win, Lefcourt destroys the last orbital defense platform that Sheridan's fleet couldn't reach.}} Of course, he only did so after {{spoiler|Clark was dead, and thus no longer President; given Luchenko's rise to Presidency, presumably Earthgov has an analogue of the [[Twenty-Fifth Amendment]].}} It turns out that many members of Earthforce had that same mindset, including {{spoiler|Babylon 5's later CO, Captain Elizabeth Lochley}}. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180828000146/http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/086.html
** Lefcourt's mindset does invite the question whether he would have followed an immoral order and allowed the {{spoiler|orbital defense grid}} to kill millions of people. The real-life section of [[Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right]] has an example where the Prussian officer was expected to violate an order.
** Many officers refused to obey immoral orders during the Earth Alliance Civil War. [
* On ''[[Highlander the Series]]'', Duncan fought for the North in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. He met another immortal who fought for the South. He said that the other immortal was on the wrong side; the other immortal acknowledged that he was, but said that he had made ties with his neighbors and friends and didn't feel like he could turn away from them.
* In the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "Doomsday", Yvonne Hartman (leader of Torchwood in 2007) did her duty "for queen and country" {{spoiler|even after being upgraded to a Cyberman.}}
* Rankol in the 2007 ''[[Flash Gordon (TV series)|Flash Gordon]]'', who explains to Princess Aura, before his apparent [[Heel Face Turn]], that his loyalty is to the ruler of Mongo - whomever that may be.
* In a very early ''[[Mission: Impossible]]'' episode, "The Reluctant Dragon," the main villian, played marvelously by character actor John Colicos, is well aware of the evils of his country's oppressive policies, but carries on as Security Minister because he's loyal to his country, and insulates himself in cultural pursuits. It's not hard to imagine that things would be much worse with someone else in his place, and he ends up being probably the most sympathetic villian in the series' history; as he lies shot at the end, he even generates a degree of compassion and respect from Rollin, who takes time to help staunch the bleeding before making his escape.
== Music ==
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My green and pleasant land? }}
** German punk band Die Toten Hosen's "Tausend gute Gründe" lists "a thousand good reasons to be proud of this country" only to admit that at the moment, they can't actually come up with a single one.
== Tabletop Games ==
* A common depiction of the Imperial Guard in ''[[Warhammer
== Theatre ==
* Anatoly Sergievsky of ''Chess'', a rather timid and awkward man hounded by the press as to why he still supports his country of Soviet Russia. He proceeds to sing "Anthem":
{{quote|'''Anatoly''': When no flags flew, when no armies stood, my land was born. And you ask me why I love her? Through wars, death, and despair? She is the constant we who don't care. And you wonder why I leave her? But how? I cross over borders but I'm still there now. Let man's petty nations tear themselves apart! My land's only borders lie around my heart!}}
== Video Games ==
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* Sam Carter from ''[[Deus Ex]]''. He remains loyal to UNATCO {{spoiler|even after it is revealed that the organization is just a front for Majestic Twelve.}} As he puts it, "We've got our share of crooked bureaucrats -- fact -- but this is still UNATCO, and by and large the people in this building are twenty-four carat gold." He does eventually join you against the [[Big Bad]] anyway, but only after UNATCO kicks him out, because they ''don't think he's loyal enough'' (or rather, not blindly loyal and able to recognise UNATCO's faults, which is what they don't want).
* This is the attitude of Baldus in ''[[Blaze Union]].'' In the A route, he's the last general left defending the capital against Gulcasa's revolution, and ([[Puzzle Boss|so long as you follow Nessiah's directions to the letter]]) is persuaded into a neat little [[Heel Face Turn]] when Gulcasa points out that the revolution has Bronquia's best interests in mind. Having gotten to know Gulcasa earlier and thus being familiar with his struggles to protect the civilians, Baldus not only joins up enthusiastically, but winds up [[Parental Substitute|developing a great deal of paternal affection for him]] after this.
* In ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', loyalty to your faction - be it Alliance or Horde - is absolute for PCs and almost absolute for NPCs. While infighting among the leaders is common and the player can often disobey a morally questionable - or outright evil - demand given by a faction leader through [[Loophole Abuse]], outright treason towards the faction itself is unheard of.
* In ''[[Naval Ops|Warship Gunner 2]]'', Admiral Amagi of the Imperial Japanese Navy initially aids the player character because Japan is an ally of your nation, but later becomes a recurring enemy when Japan aligns with [[The Empire]]. {{spoiler|So does Captain Tsukuba if he doesn't become your adjutant.}}
* Nords loyal to the remains of the Empire in ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]'' display some of this: they're dealing with a civil war where the other side is led by a secessionist whose grievances against the Emprire are genuine in spite of his [[Fantastic Racism|"Skyrim for the Nords!"]] beliefs and many will adknowledge that the Nords have got a raw deal from them - scores of them killed in a war the Empire lost to the Thalamor, worship of their favorite deity, Talos, outlawed as part of the peace treaty, and heavy taxation to pay the war debts wrecking the economy. But as the first Imperial loyalist you could befriend in the game states, Skyim has always supported the Empire (Talos/Tiber Septim the first Emperor was a Nord) and "The Nords have never been fair-weather friends."
== Western Animation ==
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* What seems to be going on (due largely to extremely intense propaganda starting in elementary education) with a large portion of the Fire Nation military in [[Avatar: The Last Airbender]], since while they get a lot of use as [[Faceless Mooks]] and the pacifist kid heroes are killing them before the end of season one, we also get brief characterization. Of course, Jeong Jeong's band of deserters decided that the wrong was ''too'' wrong and scarpered, and Zuko eventually [[Heel Face Turn|decides to operate the "to be set right" part]].
** Iroh, significantly, appears to have decided this and then waited passively for five years for the right opportunity; before this he seems to have been a poster child for this trope.
* Unicorns in ''[[Gravity Falls]]'' seem to have a "My Species, Right or Wrong" approach. While two of them scold Celestabethabelle for being a liar who takes advantage of humans simply for fun, they still side with her when violence breaks out.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Authority Tropes]]
[[Category:The Only Righteous Index of Fanatics]]
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[[Category:Politics Tropes]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Loyalty Tropes]]
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