BB> Absolutely true. It's not easy being the first of it's kind. The first of BB> everything is always fraught with flaws and needs to grow. The first BB> automobile was a very flawed invention compared to the vehicles we have BB> today. Not everyone was ready for the concepts of the new republic any more BB> than roads were ready for the first car. Those republics that followed had BB> the benefit of observing what worked well and what needed improvement. I BB> hope the exposure of both our flaws and our strengths was a help.
I agree, and as I wrote, it was a big boon to many European nations secceding to democracy from imperialism at the start of the 20th century to see and learn from the US, like us: >> was a model for many other countries, including the first Czechoslovak >> republic in 1918 (fortunately now, we no longer have a strong >> presidential republic...). >> >> I wrote that just that I find it funny, or even laughable and kind of >> stupid, when somebody talks about how "his" state was the oldest >> Contitutional Republic in existence... small minded patriotism, in my >> opinion. BB> Well, I guess I'm just a small minded, kind of stupid patriot. I'm not sure BB> exactly how that makes a person small minded and kind of stupid, but maybe BB> that's because I'm small minded and kind of stupid. I'll try to do better BB> though by redressing others should they say something stupid and kind of BB> small minded concerning something they are proud of about their country. BB> Your excellent example is appreciated, and I'll be sure to give you the BB> credit, Frantisek, for this enlightenment as I redress them. Please, don't take me so seriously. I am sure there are things that I say that others would think are kind of stupid. It is just my opinion, that I am not very fond of "pride of ones country". Sometimes I just say my opinion too harshly, as is common on this very list... Sorry for that, I certainly didn't want to insult you, and my apologies if you are insulted. I will keep my opinion, that I dislike when somebody is too much proud of his country, simply because I think one should be proud of individuals not a country. My feelings might also be kind of geographically different, here in the Europe there were after the fall of the empires many national states, unlike the USA (the problems that plagued and still somewhat plague it with seggregation, underprivilegised minorities etc. notwithstanding, it still was a less national state than most post-imperial european ones at that time). So I am quite allergic to sentences stating pride of ones country. Because in national states, such pride is often connected with dislike for all the different. I have seen plenty of examples. Perhaps now you understand me more? In my opinion, there is a big connection between pride of ones country and unpride of things that are different. And I think that unpride of different things is even in the USA. However, I didn't meant it personally at you, or anybody in particular. It is more an observation of what I think are the dangers of too much identification with a particular country or whatever. Of course people form tribes and closely knitted nets, groups. I think it is worse when such a group identification is too big, with a whole country. YMMV. Frantisek
