are u patriontic and is patriotism a good thing

[MattTheSkywalker]

uh huh. and the NY yuppies with barely repressed rage for large segments of humanity do too.

WTF? I live in Florida. And I don't think it's repressed at all.


We don't live in a global technocracy. We (and some other nations) may have some of those characertistics, but the large majority of the world's population has never seen a computer and does not benefit from these breakthroughs or globalization.

Their participation in this world you describe is (at best) as labor for slave wages.

Patriotism is the source of the energy that will keep them developing, as it did for the US. It doesn't mean that others are your enemies, simply that you want your country to be the best it can.

 

[aurelius]

You both have different definitions of patriotism and will never get anywhere until this difference is discussed and/or settled.

 

[aurelius]

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.

Absolutely beautiful.
I think Americans would do well to keep this in mind as they go out in search of "monsters to slay," as Jefferson warned his young country against.

Why does the US seemingly need to be constantly in a state of "war" with this entity and that group?

 

[Peyote Killa]

it's kinda like religion, it can fuck shit up

 

[the nature boy]

Why does the US seemingly need to be constantly in a state of "war" with this entity and that group?

a few random reasons why:

war brings people together... sort of

the military industry needs wars in order to sell it's products to governments. The military industry finances political campaigns for both parties

war is a good way to shift focus from domestic issues. a great example of this can be seen during the clinton adminstratoin. whenever there was some sort of scandal or fiasco going on internally with clinton, Iraq got bombed.

 

[the nature boy]

it's kinda like religion, it can fuck shit up

religion is worse, because it knows no boundaries. nationalism/patriotism is confined within borders.

 

[nevertoobig]

good post nordstrom.

seconded.

 

[buddy28]

Patriotism is the source of the energy that will keep them developing, as it did for the US. It doesn't mean that others are your enemies, simply that you want your country to be the best it can.

Yea, but the point is, it can go too far. Sure its usefull as a means of social and national cohesion, but taking to the extreme, it can be dentrimental to long term health of the state.

U know what scares the shit out of me??

The Chinese are just as patrotic, if not more, then Americans. Receipe for disaster on that one.

 

[theoak01]

yes it is to a extent,to much can be bad

take me for example i made a comment recently in a essay i had due for a class in the army and i refered to the germans at vimy ridge as pussies,which was a ignorant and not well thought out comment,but i figured it would impress someone,but i was wrong,respect other countires and your enemy because as i was told those pussies held that ridge for 2 years and went through a hell i will never have to

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

Yea, but the point is, it can go too far. Sure its usefull as a means of social and national cohesion, but taking to the extreme, it can be dentrimental to long term health of the state.

Anything (or movement) to the extreme is bad. Hardly an indictment of patriotism.

U know what scares the shit out of me??

The Chinese are just as patrotic, if not more, then Americans. Receipe for disaster on that one.

Sounds like conjecture. Most of them are so poor and uneducated they act out of fear of government action or reprisal. This is not patriotism.