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Your choice, but I can't possibly agree with that - in Russia any amount of it is considered ill and evil. Even patriot is a swear word here.
That's basically just going to one extreme in order to avoid another extreme. There's nothing wrong with appreciating and acknowledging the good qualities of your neighborhood, town, city, state or country. Would you not appreciate and acknowledge the good qualities of your family, friends, girlfriend, wife, etc? Or should we just focus on the negative sides of life?
If you wish to accept this new meaning, then you should also accept Chinese definition, and North Korean (yeah, it calls itself democratic too). Unless you consider Chinese, Koreans, and many others subhumans, unlike Americans.
Oh my lord ... what's wrong with you all?
Do you not know how to discuss something without playing this stupid, stupid game of one-upmanship, What I think is better than what you think. And making total exaggeration out of anything that anyone with whom you don't agree says.
Like this above.
How do you leap from "unless you don't accept the Chinese and North Korean definition" to "unless you consider them subhuman" with a snotty "unlike Americans" thrown in to top it off.
Just stop it. Grow up.
No one's better than anyone else. No country is better than any other. They're all just different. Each has good points and bad points. And our feeling is that where we choose to live is the best place. For us. And we all think that we've made the right choice. Which we have. But what you choose isn't what I choose. And, people ... that's just fine. Because I sure as heck don't have room for you all to come live at my house.
That's basically just going to one extreme in order to avoid another extreme. There's nothing wrong with appreciating and acknowledging the good qualities of your neighborhood, town, city, state or country. Would you not appreciate and acknowledge the good qualities of your family, friends, girlfriend, wife, etc? Or should we just focus on the negative sides of life?
Nationalism is not about acknowledging some good things, but about putting one's nation above all else, yourself including.
Russia is better than anything else! America is better than anything else! Somali is better than anything else!
On a surface nationalism is simply silly. But practical realizations is what really matters - and they are always evil.
US is a "nice" modern example of evilness of nationalism. "We bring peace and democracy" stems from it. Being nationalists, Americans (enough of them to be influential) can't accept that their country is wrong. Because, thanks to nationalism, it is always better than any other country. So, Iraq (etc, etc, etc, etc...) was wrong. No matter how.
Example of a nationalist brainwashing since childhood:
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
This is known as the Pledge of Allegiance, that most American kids do before the start of each school day. Disgusting.
Changes from the original are rather interesting:
I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
It was less nationalistic - not that it was ever even remotely acceptable.
If you accept the American definition of democracy, then you should also accept Chinese and North Korean. Because they are no less in anything than Americans.
I live in the USA and Im nationalistic. I support kids saying the pledge. Do I think the USA is better than other nations?? no I dont but Im glad I live here. All these folks in here slamming US pride and nationalism are also likely just as nationalistic toward thier nations too. The real reason we are hated is simply because we are large and influencial. Also we have such an open society that we show the world who we are, good and bad. Our societys flaws are put out on public display with no attempt to hide them. This fact makes it easy to criticize us for our flaws. In reality other nations have as many if not more social and political problems than we do, but they are hidden by thier goverments. Now to address the issue of our foriegn policy, well obviously much of it is intended to benefit the US so its going to upset other nations no matter what. Have we made mistakes, supported people we shouldnt have?? yes we have made mistakes. Overall our foriegn policy has done far more good than it has wrong. Considering half the world is ruled by tyrants and dictators its to be expected that many will oppose our policy. Europeans like to fancy themselves progressive pacifists, and us cowboy Americans to be warmongers, however 70 years ago Europeans had started a war the likes never seen in human history. I will not be lectured on warmongering by Europeans. I have been to Europe, loved the people and the culture there, but nothing makes me angrier than hearing them badmouth my nation for being of all things "warmongering". Hundreds of thousands of Americans died in two world wars started there, and we had nothing to do with starting them. Many of the wars we have been involved in or dragged into were fought to help others (first gulf war, Serbia), some to protect ourselves or respond to our having been attacked. (WW2, Iraq 2, Afghanistan, war of 1812) A few of our wars were wrong, and ill acknowledge that. (mexican war, Spanish American etc). A few of are wars were well intended but were folly like Vietnam, Somolia. I truely hope we can enjoy a long stretch of peace, but it seems some tyrant is always looking to provoke us, or as the nation with the most powerfull military we feel obligated to help those who are victims of tyrants. Most of our interventions are the result of us being asked to help those who are being bullied by thier goverments or thier neighboring goverments. Libya is the last example of that, and for that matter our European allies took part in that too, in fact they led it. If we sat by and did nothing about humanitarian disasters when we have the power to make things better we would also be hated for that. Im not sure we can win here. In the end I think many people just enjoy hating America and that will never change. I love my country and I am not ashamed of it, and also know that Americans do far less "hating" toward the rest of the world than the world directs at it.
And then you continue with "America is better than anything". Perfect example to my words.
Do you consider a dozen million people killed by US since after 1945 humans?
Sorry to disapoint you, but US did play a role in the starting of WW2, and in how long and atrocious it was.
We killed 12 million people?, yes I know you fancy us to be like the nazis or the soviets. Oh yes the Soviets, they killed more people than even hitler. Many people died in wars we were involved in, but those wars were not started by us, we just became involved in them. Oh and in no way did we contribute to the starting of ww2. England and France were the ones who demanded Germany pay dearly for ww1 and forced them to sign that humilating treaty. The US opposed punishing Germany after the first war, and it was that harsh treaty that created the conditions which allowed the nazi rise to power. Germany is obviously most responsible as it was they who followed Hitler down the path of evil. There was lots of bad behaivor in Europe to go around, facist Italy and the SOviet union who originally made a deal with Hitler to divide up Poland. They were simply betrayed by Hitler and that is the ONLY reason they fought on the right side of ww2. Europeans really need to look in the mirror before they point thier fingers at us. I have never claimed we have not done wrong, but I just tire of hearing all these insults heaped upon us by people whos own laundry is just as dirty, or even worse than ours.
Something like that. Maybe a lot more, if we add indirect deaths.
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Oh yes the Soviets, they killed more people than even hitler.
After WW2 SU has fought one war only - in Afghanistan. It's controversial, but the counter-party were terrorists, and the war is considered a huge mistake by all Soviets.
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Oh and in no way did we contribute to the starting of ww2.
Some of the primary and more famous Americans and companies that were involved with the fascist regimes of Europe are: William Randolph Hearst, Joseph Kennedy (JFK's father), Charles Lindbergh, John Rockefeller, Andrew Mellon (head of Alcoa, banker, and Secretary of Treasury), DuPont, General Motors, Standard Oil (now Exxon), Ford, ITT, Allen Dulles (later head of the CIA), Prescott Bush, National City Bank, and General Electric.
I.G. Farben was critical in the development of the German economy and war machine leading up to WWII. During this time I.G. Farben's international holdings along with its international business contracts with companies like Standard Oil, DuPont, Alcoa, and Dow Chemical were crucial in supplying the Nazi regime with the materials needed for war as well as financial support.
American banks and businesses continued to support the fascist regimes of Europe legally up until the day Germany declared war on America and the activities were stopped under the Trading with the Enemy Act. Despite this, some companies and individuals still maintained a business relationship with the Third Reich. Ford and GM supplied European fascists with trucks and equipment as well as investing money in I.G. Farben plants. Standard Oil supplied the fascists with fuel. US Steel and Alcoa supplied them with critically needed metals. American banks gave them billion's of dollars worth of loans.
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Europeans really need to look in the mirror before they point thier fingers at us.
The problem for American nationalists is that modern times begin after WW2. The war changed the world dramatically. Germany is almost peaceful now. Britain is almost not bad. French have even forgotten that they were evil. But US remains atrocious. Incomparably more than EU.
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