The story does present a neatly blended view of patriotism. Estraven would have preferred that its own country be the one to embrace the benefits of joining the Ekumen, but wanted more to benefit its planet as a whole, and so was willing to become a traitor to that end.
But who could deny the king, insane or not, to insist that Estraven is a traitor to its country? This is not a civilian choosing one side or another, this is the "King's Ear", one of the trusted inner circle! One expects one's enemies to be sneaky and underhanded, but one expects one's friends to be open and honest, at least with yourself. (
It is the personally felt nature of betrayal that I think has led to such harsh penalties for traitors - in real history and in this story.)
In the words of Martin Luther King (
The Trumpet of Conscience (1967) - is that right? I don't have a copy to check.):
Quote:
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In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends
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This wasn't just silence, this was flat out betrayal!
And what was Estraven's betrayal for? The unproven benefits of joining a coalition so far away that physical interactions are all but impossibly constrained by time. Estraven thinks it is worth it, but why is its opinion better than that of Tibe or the King?
I'm playing devil's advocate here, because those of us that are sci-fi enthusiasts are naturally inclined to greet the idea of alien contact in a positive manner. (If asked to become Dr Who's companion we'd jump at the chance - can we bring the kids?
) But it's a mistake to think that our own opinions are the only ones possible, and if others are possible then they just might represent a better outcome overall.
Yes, there are lots of quotes (and quite a bit of history) that paint patriotism in a bad light. (One of my favourites I posted
here.) But in any given instance there is often another way to view the situation, depending entirely on your political leanings.
I think Le Guin did a neat job here of presenting a betrayal, and seeing it punished, so that the reader is left to view the betrayal in almost any light. The story presents the dilemma but does not directly judge the outcome.