Patriotism: the supportive and positive attitude that one has to a specific fatherland.
Case #1: Appreciating your country
I appreciate the United States of America. I appreciate living in a relatively free society. I appreciate not having a dictator tell us what to do. I have a positive attitude towards this country, generally. I might not agree with all of its institutions or its going about things, but I still am grateful that I am not living in Nigeria. How could I not be satisfied with my situation when I know that others are far less off? As the last remaining superpower in the world, the U.S is the largest donor of aid in the world. At the end of the day, things aren't so bad. We don't have a perfect nation (hell no), but I think it is safe to say that we are objectively the best. Millions of people long to immigrate to this country every year. In sum, how could you not appreciate America?
Case #2: Coming soon.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Is Patriotism Okay?
Labels:
Glen Maganzini,
national news,
nationalism,
politics
1 comment:
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Glen, Glen, Glen, lol. I, not a patriot, appreciate living here, but feel that constructive criticism of one's country is always necessary and ultimately positive. The problem is not love for one's country, it's blind faith in one's country. Hell, I love my country ( I also hate it, and that's okay, because we are free to feel any way we want). Essentially, patriotism is hazardous, because it psychologically makes people deny the reality of situations. Most Americans are too blind to see through the evils this country has bestowed upon itself and other nations. Of course, when I say country I mean the elite, whom own the nation. They (the common people) cannot grip, how these supposed "good" men can be so evil. That is what patriotism does: it causes irrational thinking. For example, if you tell the average American that the U.S. were the aggressors in the Vietnam War, they would get angry and label you "Anti-American" or they would be apathetic about it by changing the topic and talking about the Red Sox game instead; but that's a whole other story. Anyway, the gruesome facts directly prove that the U.S. massacred countless South Vietnamese civilians, whom they were allegedly "saving" from North Vietnamese terror. Four million Vietnamese were killed in the war; 58,000 Americans. It would be irrational to think the U.S. were victims and that the Vietnamese were aggressors. In short, Patriotism can be a positive thing, but it also has numerous, dangerous effects on citizens' perception of our world.
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