I am a great believer in moderation. Patriotism can have positive aspects such as a humble appreciation of the value systems of ones country. A humane desire to help others to reach the same standards of tolerance and commitment towards an ideal.
Patriots of this type are unfortunately quite rare, for nobility and tolerance are virtues from another age, long trampled in the rush for wealth, transient fame, power, and quarterly profits. More common today are super patriots, radicalised in whatever belief system they hold to be superior, intolerant of other beliefs. They think it is their right to impose their "superior" system on others at any cost, invading those inferior places, deposing their traditional leaders, imposing puppet governments sympathetic to their own worldviews and narrow interests, for a price, of course. They imagine it is their right to usurp the national assets of those conquered inferiors and parcel out the riches to their cronies, without apology or conscience. They impose institutions anathemic to their own belief systems (Abu Ghraib prison, guantanamo) because they have demonised their opponents and promoted their self-interests, as patriotism to their sheepish followers, who foolishly imagine their freedoms are being protected by such actions. All in all, patriotism in the modern world is not too far off from the naziism our forefathers sacrificed their own lives for. An evil to be eradicated? On Feb 11, 3:44 pm, Lee <[email protected]> wrote: > We have, like most things, had a bash at this here before, but I still > have unresovled questions so here goes again. > > I'm not really a patriot, it's not that I hate my country, I certianly > don't, but I don't really love it either. I don't feel anything for > the land in which I have been blessed to be born. > > I don't get patriotism, I simply don't understand how one can feel > pride in the achivments of ones country without also feeling the shame > for the shamefull things, and most patriots that I am aware of > certianly do not exhibit that they feel such shame, whilst the pride > of any patriot is almost overwhelming. I don't undertand this. > > What vaule or merit is there in patriotism? > > In the interest of full disclosure though I must admit that as a > native Londoner, my heart does skip a beat everytime hear a London > accent on the TV, or in a piece of music, yet I have come to quite > detest the city(perhaps this is just my age?). I feel no pride in > being a Londoner, the footie team I support is a Northen english one, > yand I certianly can't explain this heart skipping thing at all. > > What do you think?© -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en.
