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are u patriontic and is patriotism a good thing
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mattcanning99
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yes i am...and it's only a good thing if it makes you happy, which it does (for me).
Norman Bates
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Patriotism is important if leaders want to wage war on others, i therefor think it´s a bad thing.
Patrotism, or nationalism, is a double edged sword. A modest amount of patrotism is required to retain domestic commercial enterprises, and perhaps, in times of war to inspire people to *defend* their country.
The level of patrotism I see in the US has been, and will continue to be, dentrimental to the nations long term political stability. Patrotism prevents citizens from becoming objective consumers of government action. When the veil of patrotism has shrouded the eyes of the electorate, the government is free to enage in political and military action whose actions will eventually come back to haunt the state.
Proof? Sept 11th 2001. Bin Laden's attack against the US was motivated by US foriegn political policy which authorized the oppression, exploition, and murder of thousands of persons, all for American 'freedom'. Y dont Americans care?? They beleive any action taking by their government is just. Y? Patrotism.
It blinds the constituents. and leaves the politicians to their own devices.
Julius Caesar: "Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar.
The level of patrotism I see in the US has been, and will continue to be, dentrimental to the nations long term political stability. Patrotism prevents citizens from becoming objective consumers of government action. When the veil of patrotism has shrouded the eyes of the electorate, the government is free to enage in political and military action whose actions will eventually come back to haunt the state.
Proof? Sept 11th 2001. Bin Laden's attack against the US was motivated by US foriegn political policy which authorized the oppression, exploition, and murder of thousands of persons, all for American 'freedom'. Y dont Americans care?? They beleive any action taking by their government is just. Y? Patrotism.
It blinds the constituents. and leaves the politicians to their own devices.
Julius Caesar: "Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar.
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Lao Tzu
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i think it's terrible
i assume patriotism was necessary when society was tribal (in order to ensure loyalty & cooperation or something) but we live in a global technocracy now. We should unify behind principles like humitarian aid or technological improvement rather than 'there is water seperating our dirt so we are enemies'.
besides, patriotism, like religion, gives mortals an aura of infallibility. No one realizes that 'your country' doesn't ask anything of you, the guys who run the government do. They are the ones that ask you to go to war. They are the ones with the social policies. Its no different than when the mid-evil pope said 'i get my info from god, so don't question it'. It gives mortals an aura of infallibility (i'm not asking you to do X, your country is).
i assume patriotism was necessary when society was tribal (in order to ensure loyalty & cooperation or something) but we live in a global technocracy now. We should unify behind principles like humitarian aid or technological improvement rather than 'there is water seperating our dirt so we are enemies'.
besides, patriotism, like religion, gives mortals an aura of infallibility. No one realizes that 'your country' doesn't ask anything of you, the guys who run the government do. They are the ones that ask you to go to war. They are the ones with the social policies. Its no different than when the mid-evil pope said 'i get my info from god, so don't question it'. It gives mortals an aura of infallibility (i'm not asking you to do X, your country is).
good post nordstrom. Interesting point. Nationalism combined with lack of education creates big trouble. Religous fanaticism and nationalism have alot in common. they both sponser the development of extremely exclusive ideaologies which do nothing but segragate populations. If people dont have the education to rise above it, these ideologies then serve to blind the massess.
Simple psychological princibles being applied at the marco level
Simple psychological princibles being applied at the marco level
huntmaster
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The fact that the question, "Is Patriotism a good thing" is asked and embraced in an open forum with much negativity toward the concept----says alot about where we are as a Nation.
How did it get this bad?
How did it get this bad?
nordstrom said:
Actually, a nation requires a lot of its citizens in order to be sustained. Fortunately, there are enough people who don't take it for granted.
I love it! The quasi-intellectuals flock to these posts.
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