It may be instructional to return to a specific example of how patriotism can feel, be expressed, used:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNMVMNmrqJE On Feb 11, 11:17 pm, Errol <[email protected]> wrote: > 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?©- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- 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.
