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It's worth noticing that most unpatriotic nations are Europeans, that says a lot about the downward trend of the EU and the European people, ashamed of their own history , only interested in living off their respective welfare states.
That has nothing to do with it. It's not about being ashamed of our own history and has nothing to do with welfare states (which the US also has BTW). In many European countries, there's much more of a regional or even city thing going on with identity. But just because we don't engage in jingoistic nonsense or ritual flag waving doesn't mean that we don't care about our countries and don't take pride in them. I certainly love my country despite its faults.
I guess that the only people that want to be Spanish are "madrileños", not even Castilians want to be Spanish. Castile has always been the equivalent of England, they were extremelly close until Catherine of Aragon failed to produce male heirs.
Wow, it took a few trips to Spain to know there are Castilians, Catalans, Andalucians, Galicians and Canarios...the latter are the most fun, IMO. The Catalans are the most uptight, IMO. They got mad at me when I told them I learned "Spanish" in college. Sorry for my insensitivity, BCNers. That's what my college catalog said: SP 101, SP 102, SP 201, SP 202, etc. Therefore, I think the Spaniards have more of a regional identity than they do a national pride.
I don't see this with the Italians. The Sicilians have an incredible regional sense of pride, but are also proud to be Italian. The only region I question is Sardinia, because it is this far-flung island and has a very unique culture, much of it rooted in Catalunya.
It's going downhill everywhere because apparently it isn't hip or liberal or open minded to be patriotic anymore. The only thing you can do these days is complain that the government isn't giving enough money away to the people or you're called a close minded redneck.
It's going downhill everywhere because apparently it isn't hip or liberal or open minded to be patriotic anymore. The only thing you can do these days is complain that the government isn't giving enough money away to the people or you're called a close minded redneck.
Wow its moronic projecting arguments like these that make me loose hope for this country.
Like the poster above said, its about showing respect and not getting caught up in show boating and flag waving because you happened to be born in some land some other person was not.
If you look at it, extreme patriotism is down right idiotic and show be frowned upon if the international community wants to establish cooperation between each other.
Wow its moronic projecting arguments like these that make me loose hope for this country.
Like the poster above said, its about showing respect and not getting caught up in show boating and flag waving because you happened to be born in some land some other person was not.
If you look at it, extreme patriotism is down right idiotic and show be frowned upon if the international community wants to establish cooperation between each other.
You can show respect and still be patriotic. It's ideas like yours that are just as ridiculous, such as the thought that someone cannot wave a flag or be proud of their country without being called extreme or disrespectful.
How is waving a flag disrespectful to anybody?
What's worse are the moronic people who take offense to literally everything.
I can see it now with sports, people won't be able to cheer for a team and everyone will have to cheer for both teams to win and remain silent in the stadium. Any cheering will be far too offensive.
Last edited by intelfan11315; 03-17-2012 at 05:41 PM..
It's going downhill everywhere because apparently it isn't hip or liberal or open minded to be patriotic anymore. The only thing you can do these days is complain that the government isn't giving enough money away to the people or you're called a close minded redneck.
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Who says Europeans don't love their countries? What, because we don't travel the world with t-shirts with our flags embroidered on them? Patriotism means different things to different people, as does expressing it. I regularly defend the UK both on these boards and in real life, but I don't wear my Britishness on my sleeve or ram it down anyone else's throat. I also believe in being critical of your country if necessary, admitting that it makes mistakes and being willing to learn from other countries.
You can show respect and still be patriotic. It's ideas like yours that are just as ridiculous, such as the thought that someone cannot wave a flag or be proud of their country without being called extreme or disrespectful.
How is waving a flag disrespectful to anybody?
What's worse are the moronic people who take offense to literally everything.
I can see it now with sports, people won't be able to cheer for a team and everyone will have to cheer for both teams to win and remain silent in the stadium. Any cheering will be far too offensive.
And that will never happen. Go to a football match between England and Germany. That's where you'll see the flag waving, national anthems played and people getting behind their teams and a rivalry that has spanned decades. The football pitch is where a lot of patriotism in Europe comes out. Sometimes it gets ugly too.
Loving your country is fine & great, but jingoism sucks and leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you hear it expressed. I also don't like one country trying to impose its views and its way of doing things on another country or culture, no matter how righteous they are.
Who says Europeans don't love their countries? What, because we don't travel the world with t-shirts with our flags embroidered on them? Patriotism means different things to different people, as does expressing it. I regularly defend the UK both on these boards and in real life, but I don't wear my Britishness on my sleeve or ram it down anyone else's throat. I also believe in being critical of your country if necessary, admitting that it makes mistakes and being willing to learn from other countries.
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When Spain won the World Cup, there was a lot of Spanish flag waving but not in Catalonia. It was quite embarrassing to see Spanish people in South Africa draped with the Spanish flag, chanting rather stupid jingoistic slogans and behaving like asses. Most of those dimwits were young, people that did not live through Francoism.
I'm not specially anti-Francoist, but we had an overdose of faux, fascist style Spanish jingoism and a triple overdose of Catholic religion, so many people are quite sensitized when they watch all that crap again.
Now they want to force every Town Hall in Catalonia or in any other Spanish region to hang the Spanish flag, that's plain idiotic. In the Town Hall of my town we only have the town's flag, St.George's flag with a small three towered castle in the center. No more flags.
When Spain won the World Cup, there was a lot of Spanish flag waving but not in Catalonia. It was quite embarrassing to see Spanish people in South Africa draped with the Spanish flag, chanting rather stupid jingoistic slogans and behaving like asses. Most of those dimwits were young, people that did not live through Francoism.
I'm not specially anti-Francoist, but we had an overdose of faux, fascist style Spanish jingoism and a triple overdose of Catholic religion, so many people are quite sensitized when they watch all that crap again.
Now they want to force every Town Hall in Catalonia or in any other Spanish region to hang the Spanish flag, that's plain idiotic. In the Town Hall of my town we only have the town's flag, St.George's flag with a small three towered castle in the center. No more flags.
That's often how I feel when England would be in the World Cup or European Championships...loads of drunken louts waving the St. George's Cross and acting like idiots.
Honestly, I care more about the region or even town or city that I live in. There's nothing wrong with bit of healthy national pride, but more often than not, many people take it way too far to the point of obnoxiousness.
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