why are people so patriotic?

[Shilberu Erikku]

Can someone tell me why, where people can recognize that nationalism was the driving force behind WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and is the driving force behind the ruthless insurgency in Iraq, that every ******** country still thinks it is a great thing to be patriotic. As much as I would like to say it is just America who blindly believes in the superiority of their own country, clearly we all participate in this ignorant farce.

Why do we? And when will we realise that it doesn't matter at all in which specific area you were born, that we are all humans, and intrinsically the same?  

[TylerAnnihilate]

If there were a tip function in the guild forums, you'd so be tipped.  

[Centipedes In Utero]

 

[Shilberu Erikku]

Centipedes In Utero

I don't get it, It's just a country. Why get so worked up over a peice of land.?  

[Symptom_of_Society]

arn't you proud of your country and all it has accomplished?  

[Shilberu Erikku]

The Neko CatGirl

aren't you proud of your country and all it has accomplished?

I'm not sure. neutral  

[Esiris]

Fanaticism- not patriotism, is the driving force behind that. Nations are the sum of their people, their culture and their history- this holds a lot of meaning because knowing where we come from shapes where we are going.

It would be nice if you'd stop confusing appropriate and inappropriate behavior- I'm sure you can tell the difference between the average person who loves the rights and freedoms this nation affords us and a crazy person who shoots up a room and almost assassinates a senator.  

[Shilberu Erikku]

Esiris

Fanaticism- not patriotism, is the driving force behind that. Nations are the sum of their people, their culture and their history- this holds a lot of meaning because knowing where we come from shapes where we are going.

It would be nice if you'd stop confusing appropriate and inappropriate behavior- I'm sure you can tell the difference between the average person who loves the rights and freedoms this nation affords us and a crazy person who shoots up a room and almost assassinates a senator.

That kinda makes since sweatdrop . I can tell the difference, I just tend to be indifferent towards a lot of things, so this is kinda alien to me. Although, about that whole culture thing,if that's true, then why do Americans have pride in their country? America doesn't have any unique culture.  

[Esiris]

Shilberu Erikku

I don't think that's good enough reason to be proud of a peice of land.

]
The fact you ignored everything I said and continue to equate Nation with "a piece of land" shows this is a failing on your part to listen and think about what is said- not in the explanation.

Nations are the sum of their parts- their people, their culture, their history- these and more fuse together to be a Nation. The combination of all this stuff is as moving and powerful as a breathtaking piece of art, or as deeply touching as your fondest memory.

Most patriotism isn't based on the geographic boundaries- those are more symbols than anything else. It's the principles that unite the nation- in our case, the freedoms and rights that we were largely founded in search of. The freedoms that you often take such pride in when you post and degrade other people. I guess that means you're a patriot, you just don't acknowledge it because you take all those rights and freedoms for granted. So- a Patriot is someone like you, the only difference is they understand that the things you both like exist here because as a nation we protect them. And they respect that protection, its history and it's legacy.  

[DJ Arctic Wolf]

i love America and im proud of all its accomplishments, but im not really patriotic. hell, if im more patriotic ANY country, it'd be Japan! i love their culture, food, music, anime, games, archaeological records....pretty much everything!  

[Shilberu Erikku]

Esiris

Shilberu Erikku

I don't think that's good enough reason to be proud of a peice of land.

]
The fact you ignored everything I said and continue to equate Nation with "a piece of land" shows this is a failing on your part to listen and think about what is said- not in the explanation.

Nations are the sum of their parts- their people, their culture, their history- these and more fuse together to be a Nation. The combination of all this stuff is as moving and powerful as a breathtaking piece of art, or as deeply touching as your fondest memory.

Most patriotism isn't based on the geographic boundaries- those are more symbols than anything else. It's the principles that unite the nation- in our case, the freedoms and rights that we were largely founded in search of. The freedoms that you often take such pride in when you post and degrade other people. I guess that means you're a patriot, you just don't acknowledge it because you take all those rights and freedoms for granted. So- a Patriot is someone like you, the only difference is they understand that the things you both like exist here because as a nation we protect them. And they respect that protection, its history and it's legacy.

Then what can I do to change?  

[Shilberu Erikku]

Wolf of the Western Wind

i love America and im proud of all its accomplishments

why  

[Shilberu Erikku]

Wolf of the Western Wind

i love America and im proud of all its accomplishments, but im not really patriotic. hell, if im more patriotic ANY country, it'd be Japan! i love their culture, food, music, anime, games, archaeological records....pretty much everything!

If only Japan and Korea completely dominated the world blaugh  

[Esiris]

Shilberu Erikku

Then what can I do to change?

That depends on how you want to change- you can start appreciating your freedom and acknowledge your patriotism or you can decide that you're so anti-patriotism that you don't want the rights and freedoms and you could stop using those rights and freedoms by surrendering them.  

[GaYnus]

Patriotism is a load of crap, war is pointless, and politics are pointless.

Saying that you belong to one country or another is just large scale compartmentalization. Compartmentalization causes more problems than it fixes. It causes prejudice based on differences and that leads people to fear other people that are different than them and then that fear fosters hatred. Then all hell breaks loose.

If we spent less time being prideful of our individual countries and more time trying to preserve humanity and the world we live in, then the world might become a better place instead of the declining piece of crap that it is today.