Is Patriotism Malevolent?

Nationalism is a plague upon this world and nothing less.
 
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too.

However, in this imperfect world, I have to be a Nationalist, in the roiginal sense of the word.

Patriotism is the last refuge ofa scoundrel-Samuel Johnston.
 
nonconformist said:
Patriotism is the last refuge ofa scoundrel-Samuel Johnston.
Ha!Samuel Johnston is a adulterated disciple of Hobbes.A pessimist,nothing else.:lol:
 
My country is the best in the world. I would hope everybody feels the same about their own nation. As a matter of fact, all other things being equal, I'd hold a person in higher esteem who does love their country and thinks it is the best in the world.

You can feel this way without taking it to the extreme of thinking this view means your nation is justified in ruling over other nations.
 
Nationalism is fine, as long as it doesn't become jingoism.

nonconformist said:
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too.
Even if there are no countries, how does that make religion disappear, or are you saying 'imagine there is no religion'. In the latter case switching the 2nd and 4th lines would help it make sense.
 
My country isnt the best in the world at everything. Many a 3rd world country can murder us at football(soccer). I still like it a lot though
 
I'll just sum it up this way.

Kansan by birth, Missourian by choice, American by the grace of God. :)
 
MattBrown said:
My country isnt the best in the world at everything. Many a 3rd world country can murder us at football(soccer). I still like it a lot though

Since when did this thread become a chest-beater?

In that case, my country taught your country to do everything.

And we conquered a bigger empire than anyone ever has or ever will.

Cruel Britannia waives the rules!

Bow and weep all you damn yanks and foreigners! :D
union_jack.jpg
 
CurtSibling said:
Since when did this thread become a chest-beater?

In that case, my country taught your country to do everything.

And we conquered a bigger empire than anyone ever has or ever will.

Cruel Britannia waives the rules!

Bow and weep all you damn yanks and foreigners! :D
union_jack.jpg

But Great britian lost almost all of its empire to this day and the U.S its former colony turned around and become more powerful then the country that gave birth to her. :mischief:
 
Xanikk999 said:
But Great britian lost almost all of its empire to this day and the U.S its former colony turned around and become more powerful then the country that gave birth to her. :mischief:

All good things come to an end.

We had to move over for a less capable and inferior power.

And we gave our empire back, not out of defeat but from enlightenment.

The USA was our great gift to the world. It still has the hallmarks of British culture all over it.
And like our previous power, the American Empire is now showing signs of collapse and wear.

And that makes me sad.

The EU will be the next great Western power, after the Chinese have their day.

.
 
China has a strong economy mainly because its workers accept very cheap wages for the same jobs and while having the same expertise as american workers or even european workers. Countries with high standards of living cannot compete with the chinese market.

But i beileve they will have to eventually cave in and grant thier citizens civil liberties and freedom of speech and expression to become a truly powerful nation. And at the same time they will achieve a higher standard of living for thier citizens and maybe they will demand higher wages and our markets could compete with them.
 
Xanikk999 said:
China has a strong economy mainly because its workers accept very cheap wages for the same jobs and while having the same expertise as american workers or even european workers. Countries with high standards of living cannot compete with the chinese market.

But i beileve they will have to eventually cave in and grant thier citizens civil liberties and freedom of speech and expression to become a truly powerful nation. And at the same time they will achieve a higher standard of living for thier citizens and maybe they will demand higher wages and our markets could compete with them.

China already knows that distracted citizens are content citizens.

We will see Chinese power in full effect by the time we are old men.

.
 
CurtSibling said:
China already knows that distracted citizens are content citizens.

We will see Chinese power in full effect by the time we are old men.

.

Most of the citizens over their are anything but content. Alot of them are etremely poor and have low standards of living and at the same time cannot express their view in public or through the media because it is government controlled.

This is offset some because of the propaganda they direct through thier citizens through newspapers and chinese news.

People wont stand for it forever though. Not when they crave the freedoms of other countries. Anyway the intellectuals wont stand for it. This dictatorship wont last forever.

The only reason why they did not end up like the soviet union is because they started implementing some capatalist trends in their country and are far better at quelling resistence and discontent. But i know they cannot do it forever.
 
Xanikk999 said:
Most of the citizens over their are anything but content. Alot of them are etremely poor and have low standards of living and at the same time cannot express their view in public or through the media because it is government controlled.

Same as the Western world then!

We also have these problems, but our leaders are good at distracting us.

Xanikk999 said:
This is offset some because of the propaganda they direct through thier citizens through newspapers and chinese news.

Our nations are awash with propaganda too.

Why are we not allowed to see coffins being flown back from Iraq?
We can't we demand certain data from our governments?

Suppression - Propaganda.

Xanikk999 said:
People wont stand for it forever though. Not when they crave the freedoms of other countries. Anyway the intellectuals wont stand for it. This dictatorship wont last forever.

We had best provide some better insurance of freedom at home first.

When you can be arrested or fined for wearing a T-Shirt or swearing...

That is not democracy in action.

Xanikk999 said:
The only reason why they did not end up like the soviet union is because they started implementing some capatalist trends in their country and are far better at quelling resistence and discontent. But i know they cannot do it forever.

The only difference between our nations and the soviets is the large
quantities of manufactured products and media rubbish we have...

Believe me - You are free to express, as long as it is with what they allow.

It is not liberty, it is control.

...
 
CurtSibling said:
Since when did this thread become a chest-beater?

In that case, my country taught your country to do everything.

And we conquered a bigger empire than anyone ever has or ever will.

Cruel Britannia waives the rules!

Bow and weep all you damn yanks and foreigners! :D
union_jack.jpg

it was more addressed to VCRW (my country is the best at everything)...its pretty obviously not true. Football is just an obvious answer. I think somebody can say "we suck at football/hockey...our food is awful...) but still be a patriot
 
My brother is doing a scholarship in WV in soccer.
And he says you yanks are mostly very rubbish at footie.

But with some practice, you may make a good crack at the world cup.

:)
 
Abgar said:
Nationalism is fine, as long as it doesn't become jingoism.


Even if there are no countries, how does that make religion disappear, or are you saying 'imagine there is no religion'. In the latter case switching the 2nd and 4th lines would help it make sense.

It's a song you fool.

www.wordreference.com said:
patriotism
A noun
1 patriotism, nationalism

love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it
Category Tree:
abstraction
╚attribute
╚quality
╚fidelity; faithfulness
╚loyalty
╚patriotism, nationalism
╚chauvinism; jingoism; superpatriotism; ultranationalism
╚Americanism
Bahram Maskanian said:
To be patriotic is to be inspired by the love for one's Mother-Land, love of one's Birth-Place and complete devotion to its safety and protection.

Life is born, sustained upon and from the land on which we live. We were brought into life by birth and keep on going by the land on which we live.

One of life’s essential support systems is water, sustained and held on land and housed within land’s cavities on which we live. Life is sustained by Air, which rises from the sea waters housed on the land on which we live.

Therefore, I ask you, is it not an act of Patriotism, to love and protect our Mother-Land and/or our environment? Freedom and living free have a direct coalition with health and healthy environment.

The alliance between being Patriotic and being an Environmentalist is one of the secret bonds, which ensures freedom and prosperity for all.

The honest and good patriotic people are those who think globally and act locally, with the goal of a clean Planet Earth for all.

To be patriotic is not to wear a flag or scream symbolic hollow gestures on the streets and political podiums.

Corrupt and criminal unpatriotic are individuals who selfishly and purposely destroy our environment by driving gas-guzzling SUV trucks and dumping chemical, biological and nuclear wastes into the land, water and air, all of which are essential life sustaining ingredients that we need for survival.

Automobiles are responsible for over seventy-five percent (75%) of the United States fuel consumption. Automobiles also cause seventy-five percent (75%) of air and water pollution in the United States.

Based on the above definition of patriotism, it won’t be that difficult to find one’s place in today’s world and define oneself as a true patriot.
www.thefreedictionary.com said:
Adj. 1. patriotic - inspired by love for your country
loyal
loyal - steadfast in allegiance or duty; "loyal subjects"; "loyal friends stood by him"
disloyal, unpatriotic - showing lack of love for your country

Quoted 3 sources, because you just cannot rely on 1, especially if it's taken from internet.

Personally, i'm a nationalist... Hell, i'm happy we aren't the US :lol: . We live decently, and don't want no war... the way it should be (almost, should ALWAYS strive for better, if not for you, then for the generations to come).
 
Dawgphood001 said:
Tis a fine line.

To love your country, be proud of its achievements and history is one thing.

But to hold contempt for other countries and to view them as inferior is another.
Armed_Maniac said:
Personally, i'm a nationalist... Hell, i'm happy we aren't the US :lol:
Interesting counterpoint between those two..... :)

By the fact that I choose to live in the U.S. instead of Canada, and Armed_Maniac chooses to live in Quebec instead of the U.S., both of us are implicitly stating with our actions that we each consider our current residence superior to the other.

That basic idea has been with us since the dawn of time. When you haven't eaten for a week and are chasing after a rabbit that would rather not become your next meal and is trying its darnedest to escape you, you don't care about its welfare--you care about yours. The feeling is mutual; the rabbit would much rather see you starve to death.
 
We live in a world where supporting your family is good for you. Supporting your friends is good for you. Supporting your country is good for you.

Sometimes, you have to choose a side, and then you have to stick with that choice.
 
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