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An opinion to which you are quite correct in stating. Too often, failing countries, where populations are manipulated under the flag and national symbols, as freedoms are slowly removed, usually under the guise of national security and the like.
I see where you are coming from, and I gotta say I agree with most points.
I think it's also important to draw a line between patriotism and nationalism. The former is rather harmless as it celebrates a country's achievements whereas the latter does so with the intent of putting down others.
I don't see a real difference, one is just a stronger version of the other.
It's not unlike saying I am proud to be white (maybe also because of European achievements in the past). It implies I am happy not to be black or Asian or whatever, although I have never achieved anything meaningful in my life, despite being white.
I strongly dislike the pseudo-kinship aspect. I have always been a global person, siding with underdogs, for instance in sports. I remember that a lot of people did not find it funny whenever I hoped a team (such as Nigeria) playing "my country" would win. People assume that everyone buys into that whole "we" vs "them" crap.
That's one of the reasons why I don't like patriotism. When people are proud of other people's achievements, people they don't even know, or people who lived long before them.
And whether people admit it or not, being proud of one's own country automatically means looking down on other countries. Again, most people won't admit it. Why aren't Germans proud of Portugal or Greece and put up the Portuguese or Greek flag in their gardens? At the end of the day because they believe in the illusion that they are related to the few people of their given country who actually achieved something in their lives. Like here in Portugal. People are so proud of their Ronaldo, it is just embarrassing. Mostly people who have never accomplished anything in their lives, people who are not related to Ronaldo in any way. People who merely happen to have the same country printed in their passports.
Your lack and ignorance towards different countries other than Germany and Portugal shows. Patriotism and nationalism have been vital for the survival of certain countries in Europe, but of course, you're oblivious to that. You look at this through your guilt-ridden German lens.
And why don't Germans put up the flags of other countries? Because they are not from those other countries. If they did, it would be highly absurd.
Your lack and ignorance towards different countries other than Germany and Portugal shows. Patriotism and nationalism have been vital for the survival of certain countries in Europe, but of course, you're oblivious to that. You look at this through your guilt-ridden German lens.
And why don't Germans put up the flags of other countries? Because they are not from those other countries. If they did, it would be highly absurd.
It is the same in every country I have been to so far.
Patriotism and nationalism are what wars are based on. Without it people would not throw their lives away and fight their -ist politicians' wars.
No guilt-ridden anything in my case. I am as innocent as it gets. Plus, other countries have the same kinds of skeletons in their closets, the US for instance.
Basically, I am against the concept of countries and nationalities to begin with.
It is the same in every country I have been to so far.
Patriotism and nationalism are what wars are based on. Without it people would not throw their lives away and fight their -ist politicians' wars.
No guilt-ridden anything in my case. I am as innocent as it gets. Plus, other countries have the same kinds of skeletons in their closets, the US for instance.
Basically, I am against the concept of countries and nationalities to begin with.
It's actually imperialism what wars are usually based on, without countries you either have empires or tribalism.
I don't see a real difference, one is just a stronger version of the other.
It's not unlike saying I am proud to be white (maybe also because of European achievements in the past). It implies I am happy not to be black or Asian or whatever, although I have never achieved anything meaningful in my life, despite being white.
I strongly dislike the pseudo-kinship aspect. I have always been a global person, siding with underdogs, for instance in sports. I remember that a lot of people did not find it funny whenever I hoped a team (such as Nigeria) playing "my country" would win. People assume that everyone buys into that whole "we" vs "them" crap.
The difference is is minor, yet significant. Patriotism involves the celebration of a culture or nationhod, while nationalism has a jingoistic undertone to it.
Whenever violence is present, we know that nationalism is involved.
Soccer tends to bring out the worst in people, especially when riots are present. We saw what happened in Paris recently.
That's nonsense, Switzerland is a patriotic country also, but it was never imperialistic. As I said, either you have nations, or you have empires that tend to tyranny or you have tribalism that leads to anarchy as seen in Africa.
It's actually imperialism what wars are usually based on, without countries you either have empires or tribalism.
Empires and tribes are basically the same issue: political entities whose members think they are more important, better or whatever than others. The bigger the entity, the bigger the problems and ultimately wars.
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