Patriotism??????????/

Re: Patriotism??????????/


Yes, it is arbitrary.

Is it supporting a demographic - say a country - even when you know it is wrong? I always wonder about this one. Imagine if the Nazi's said well Hitler is wrong but I am Patriotic so to hell with the wussies - kinda like they actually did.

Patriotism is just the product of conditioning, just like choosing a type of shampoo that you have seen on an advert or a rat pressing a lever in a behaviourist experiment. It's nothing more complicated than that.

I remember, at school our history teacher defining "patriotism" as love of your mother country and "nationalism" as hatred of all others. I don't agree with that, however. Patriotism is the name you give to nationalism if you decide that you agree with it. Favouring people because they come from your own country is bigoted and stupid. Boundaries are artificial and why should being born on the other side of an invisible line change your rights as a human being. I know it does, but it shouldn't.

Re: Patriotism??????????/


I'd like to think I am patriotic but that my patriotism does not make me prejudice. Too many people thing that being patriotic goes hand in hand with prejudice and I don't think they must go hand in hand. Having too much patriotism is not a bad thing but when it causes intolerance then I think that is disadvantageous. Patriotism can be a healthy outlet and is an important part of ones heritage but patriotism that leads to intolerance, prejudice, or worse yet violence is not a required part of being patriotic.