Are you a patriot?

[Eclectic Dreck]

I was. It turns out, seeing friends mangled and enemies destoryed makes one rethink such a position. One can only see the ravages of even a gentle war for so long before the entire concept seems like the construction of a lunatic.

 

[Therumancer]

point.

But then again I will admit that to an extent my pro-American fanaticism is in part in reaction to all of the Anti-Americanism which I get tired of.

Admiting is the first part of the healing process. =)

Might I suggest looking into the reasons for such a cultural backlash as a second step? [/quote]


-

To be honest I've looked into the reasons quite a bit, which is one of the reasons why it irritates me, but this isn't the time or place for such debates as it would de-rail the thread and ultimatly go nowhere.

I can be one of the worst critics there is of my own country in certain areas, but ironically those areas of valid criticism is rarely what is brought up in anti-American rants.

 

[barkaim]

not patriot but disapprove of terrorism there are far to many screwed up things here to be proud

 

[NEVRINx54]

it's not perfect but i love it.... God bless America.

 

[Hucket]

I'm Canadian, and I am a patriot. I love my country. Do we have our faults, yes. Are we the best country in the world...in some respects yes, but in some respects no. But I believe a patriot is someone who belives and loves there country right or wrong.I AM CANADIAN! (froma beer commercials for those of you not in the know)

 

[Davvda]

Just to answer some questions. By patriot I didn't mean the american patriot stereotype with men declaring their country superior to all the others. My question wasn't posted to find out how wide the spread of nationalists here is. It was just posted to see what you think of your country.

Lovely.

/Davvda

Edit: No offense against americans in any way.

 

[Cowabungaa]

I never saw the point of patriotism and I still don't fully understand it. I don't think much of my country, awful people exist everywhere, good people too.

Taking pride in what other people did in the past, I don't get that. Isn't taking pride in your own achievements enough? What do you, as a person, have to do with the achievements of others?

 

[Gunner 51]

I would say no. Years of successive and increasingly corrupt governments have reduced Britain from an OK place to live into a broken down society with too many rules.

 

[Ericb]

I am convinced you dont even know what I meant. So you go ahead and describe exactly what I was saying. Just so you dont look like an ass.

That was a just a joke.

And don't worry, you beat me to it.

 

[Ericb]

To be honest I've looked into the reasons quite a bit, which is one of the reasons why it irritates me, but this isn't the time or place for such debates as it would de-rail the thread and ultimatly go nowhere.

I disagree so much. This is the best topic for this very subject and it fits the discussion perfectly.

 

[Kajt]

They're both great countries, but I wouldn't consider myself a patriot. Just feels wrong to do that.

 

[Ham_authority95]

There isn't widespread poverty, civil wars, or starvation, so I guess I like my country, but not enough to die for or kill people over.

From the US by the way.

EDIT: But then again, I could just move to a country like Sweden or New Zealand and get the same benefits and more.

 

[Tdc2182]

I am convinced you dont even know what I meant. So you go ahead and describe exactly what I was saying. Just so you dont look like an ass.

That was a just a joke.

And don't worry, you beat me to it.

Sorry, I was having an off day.

 

[Ericb]

Sorry, I was having an off day.

No sweat.

 

[zHellas]

Well, let me think:

My country has an irrational fear of my ideology, when even the most educated of them rarely know what it actually entails. They, furthermore, cannot differentiate my ideology from fascism. Apparently to them socialism and fascism both sound scary and therefore must obviously be the same thing. Furthermore, I heard someone that I consider to be one of the more educated of my peers arguing that fascism was a form of socialism due to both having a command economy.

The people here listen to the most god awful music, and further spit in my face by trying to label it as punk rock. I swear, the next "punk" who I hear talking about how great Avril Lavigne or My Chemical Romance is might just mysteriously disappear.

Our culture has made Micheal Bay popular. Everyone has seen the Transformers movies, but if I want to discuss Quintin Tarantino with anyone the discussion is almost always limited to the one with Brad Pitt and nazis (a good movie, but certainly not representative of his entire career). Furthermore, people largely refuse to watch amazing foreign films like Pan's Labyrinth because they don't want to read subtitles.

On a more political and less cultural note- my country is still awful. While some American patriots will argue that America's government used to be good but not its government has been corrupted, America was not an example of anything this side of the French Revolution. The only thing we ever had going for us politically was that we were not a monarchy, but that was not true for long. Then for a while we weren't imperialist, except we were because Manifest Destiny was just a fancy word for imperialism. We have been imperialist ever since, although our modern imperialism is a bit more watered down to keep the appearance that we are a large benevolent world power when really we are a greedy, corrupt empire that will bomb to hell as many little countries full of brown people as it takes to assert our absolute authority over the geo-political balance. Furthermore, we were the last country to abolish slavery.

In short- I am not a patriot, and I would be almost offended to be mistaken for one. I will admit myself lucky to be born here, simply because I could have been born somewhere that was not at all industrialized and I could be starving right now. I would have preferred to be born in Europe, and will probably move there when I am done with my education.

... Why the fuck aren't we friends already?

EDIT: OT: Fuck no.

 

[Gudrests]

I'm from America... so it's more a point against me to be a 'patriot'...

I don't really care much; I'd prefer to live somewhere else where I don't have to listen to all this crap about horrid parties and the like, but then again I don't care that much either. I'll find myself somewhere else eventually.

the party system...is everywhere...its all just different names and faces

Yea, I know. I could just go somewhere where there's only one party though. What could go wrong there?!

Hummm...i seem to remember a system that involved only 1 party...and magically everyone against the party...was gone...anyone have a history Textbook from the 1900's?...should be a little before the middle... -_-

P.S do i smell burning books?

 

[Mexican89]

No No No No No
I think patriotism is not healthy. Just assuming your country is somehow superior to other countrys because you were born there is the exact type of irritating short sightness I cant stand. Was it just the way I was brought up that made me so uncaring for my country? I cant understand why anybody would be proud of it.
I dont mind the country I am in but I am not about to die for it.

you dont have to assume... im from america... and we can kick everyones ass... so were the best. haha im just kidding

but seriously. i think i am a bit of a patriot. but not the kind that walk around thinking were the best country in the world. lol. but i do love my country enough to join the military and protect it against any douchebag trying to kill innocent people on our soil for no apparent reason...

 

[Quid Plura]

I'm not a patriot. I think I travelled too much and saw good things in a lot of cultures.

 

[not_the_dm]

I suppose I am. I'm kind of an imperialist though so it's less what my country is now than what it was.

The sun hasn't set on the British Empire!
[sub]It's just gone behind a cloud, or something...[/sub]