Patriotism isn't all bad?

[LuckyClover95]

There must be things you love about your culture, your country, even possibly your government. Is it a time honoured tradition? A value? Is your country simply beautiful? Does it have a fair government that looks after you?
I think patriotism can be annoying, when you get the stereotype of patriotic american - the man who actually knows nothing about his countries history, but he carries as many guns as he can to shoot gays and the unholy Spanish or whatever.
But I would call myself a British patriot. I love my country - it's certainly not perfect, and it varies between region and (more prominently) class. I love our customs and values and general ways. The 'thing' about British people always complaining about the weather - not emphasized, it is completely and entirely true. Find us in summer, spring, autumn, winter, we are always complaining that the weather isn't perfect. But you know, you love us for it.
Also, pubs. Pubs in Britain are wonderful. They are different from bars or clubs, in Britain more than other countries they are the social hub of the community (Less prominent in the middle class, but still) . True, I haven't been many times as I'm underage, but I go with my family sometimes and it's always enjoyable. The pub we go to supports the local band, will have many different sports on the tv for us to discuss or argue about. There are the regulars - people we always see there and are friends with just because we drink beer with them (me including, shh). I've recently met a man who left school early, got his qualifications in juvi (borstal) and now is slef employed and can do all sorts of jobs - every type of carpentry, mechanical things, pottery, you name it he's done the job. He has some pretty neat ideas, you might go as far to say philosophies. I love being able to meet these people and drink with them every time we go in. Every one looks after and knows one another in a pub.
That's probably my favourite British thing.
We also have some fantastic musicians, and there seems to be a good party scene everywhere.
We have Shakespeare too Really good human rights and a fair democracy. St George's day.
I love our slang and accents.
By the way I live in England - the rest of Britain have their own wonderful ways.

ANYWAY, I like our values and traditions over here. I hope you do too. Lets have a happy why I love my country thread, and say how you're patriotic.
(I searched 'patriotic' in the search bar and found similar threads but none the same and none within about a year.)

EDIT I realize this is a really shoddily written OP, but whatever.

 

[Drodgyn]

I'll be honest. America kind of annoys me. Not the country itself, but the political machine. For example, NYS, where I live, just passed a bill allowing gay marriage in the state through to the governor's desk. Religious groups were asking for protections on the bill, and in just about every bill in recent memory in the states, the liberals bent over backwards to appease the conservatives and religious groups, who to be honest, didn't have a cock among them to stand on in their argument.

Also, American humor just isn't funny to me. I much prefer British and Canadian humor. In fact, I can't recall the last American TV show or movie that was actually funny to be.

 

[megs1120]

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel
-Samuel Johnson

 

[gibboss28]

*snip*.

I don't consider myself patriotic by any means and there is a part of me that really doesn't like many aspects of the UK, but one thing I'll agree with you on is about the pubs.

 

[MetalDooley]

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel
-Samuel Johnson

Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious - Oscar Wilde

OT: There's nothing wrong with a bit of Patriotism tbh.Having said that I'm struggling to think of reasons why I should love Ireland at this moment in time

 

[GundamSentinel]

Patriotism isn't necessarily a bad thing. But you have to be critical as well and you shouldn't blindly support your country out of some sense of misplaced loyalty. That's usually my problem with people shouting about how one should support the armed forces abroad. Why should I? I don't agree with their reasons for being abroad.

That, and patriotism carries the notion of being proud of your country. How can you be proud of something you haven't accomplished and probably haven't even had a hand in? Be proud when you've actually made your country better...

Still, it's okay to like your country and to want to tell other people about it.

Me, I like my country. I like the freedom, the social system and the people. I don't like the people in government and I don't like the landscape, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

 

[Forgetitnow344]

Also, American humor just isn't funny to me. I much prefer British and Canadian humor. In fact, I can't recall the last American TV show or movie that was actually funny to be.

Louie, Archer, Bob's Burgers, and Whitest Kids U Know would like a word with you. Also, do you mean British humor like The Office or like Blackadder? And what is the difference between American and Canadian humor? I've got several friends in/from Canada and I've seen a few shows out of Canada, and it's identical to what you find in America.

OT: I think everyone should take pride in where they're from. To look at America from an objective standpoint though, is difficult. We are so incredibly diverse and hard to generalize, and most of the rest of the world has a hard time understanding that. Sure, in your country, you see a lot of people who may or may not be the same color walking down the street, but if you have never been to America and seen just how very different everyone is from city to city and state to state, you simply don't get it. It's insane. That's what's so hard about our government maintaining a consensus of happiness. For every outspoken person who will fight for gay rights just for the sake of civil liberty, there are ten grumbling bumfucks who will simply stay quiet about their own ridiculous opinions until election day, and then suddenly Prop 8 passes. Yeah, it does grind my gears pretty hard that our country is actually so awesomely good to live in that most people just go about their lives, never second-guessing themselves or the way they think to affect anyone outside of themselves, but the flipside to that is... This country is awesomely good to live in.

Like, holy shit, you guys. It's pretty cool.

Aside from things like inalienable rights, I think my favorite thing is the landscape. I personally live in San Diego county, which means I have access to a SHITLOAD of really cool scenery. San Diego is right off the bat known as having some of the best weather in the world year round, and I've never lived more than fifteen minutes from the beach. If I want a change, I'm only a few hours from either desert or mountain terrain. People from other countries or states ask if I've never seen snow, but a better question is if I've ever seen a horizon not lined with mountains. Hell yes, I've seen snow, and I can see it pretty much whenever I want without having to live in it. And if I want to go for a REAL drive, my favorite landscape ever is the beautiful red deserts in southwestern America. Or even better, have you ever been in Death Valley in the middle of the night and just looked up at the sky?

Spoiler: Goddamn.

Yeah, we're imperfect. Sure, we're not the best country ever. But what country really has the right to stand up and say they're better than us? I love where I live, and while traveling the world is something I would really like to do someday, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. And unless you live in some crappy, third-world armpit of the planet, I'd find it not only depressing but outright disrespectful if you didn't feel that way about your home as well. That's what patriotism is to me.

 

[LuckyClover95]

Patriotism isn't necessarily a bad thing. But you have to be critical as well and you shouldn't blindly support your country out of some sense of misplaced loyalty. That's usually my problem with people shouting about how one should support the armed forces abroad. Why should I? I don't agree with their reasons for being abroad.

That, and patriotism carries the notion of being proud of your country. How can you be proud of something you haven't accomplished and probably haven't even had a hand in? Be proud when you've actually made your country better...

Still, it's okay to like your country and to want to tell other people about it.

Me, I like my country. I like the freedom, the social system and the people. I don't like the people in government and I don't like the landscape, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Oh, I totally agree - my intentions with this thread were more about having a lovely positive thread where everyone shared what they like about their country, I didn't mean that we should blindly support wars or anything I just meant be proud of where you're from etc, not necessarily like that. But you probably got what I meant.

 

[CODE-D]

Also, American humor just isn't funny to me. I much prefer British and Canadian humor. In fact, I can't recall the last American TV show or movie that was actually funny to be.

I find it hilarious that you think that. The only show thats british and funny i found was the inbetweeners and to a degree top gear.

 

[NikolaiK]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYKy-xPq178

 

[ThisIsSnake]

Patriotism's alright so long as it doesn't go into blind patriotism or EDL/BNP style lunacy.

I like how we once had the largest empire ever seen all ruled from our tiny island.
I like how we've occasionally been ahead of the curve on modern values.
I like how we had Red Dwarf and Blackadder.
I like how the last king of Yorkshire was called Eric Bloodaxe.
I like how we have produced some brilliant contributions to science.
I like how we have produced some brilliant literature.

Obviously there's a lot of things I dislike too, but I enjoy living in the UK nonetheless.

 

[Jakub324]

Let's face it: the new British Government are a bunch of tossers. I like our culture and our history, even the Empire part because people forget that a)it was an instrument of peace, and b) that we were among the first to start freeing slaves. What have we got now? Chavs, the EU and Stephen Hawking (legend).

 

[Woodsey]

Patriotism is for fools, and simply liking something about your country/culture is not patriotism in and of itself.

 

[Dogstile]

I love Britain. I mean, I live in Farnborough, which is working class and you get a massive amount of pricks around here. However, just going to a place, playing pool, sitting in a pub drinking JD and coke with your friends, its all wonderful.

Aside from that, I find that Britain has finally started getting over the whole gay thing. I saw two guys kissing in public. A group of five guys started making rather rude insults, only to have a larger group instantly tell them to go home and grow the fuck up. It was glorious.

At least here people seem to have their heart in the right place, even if outwardly Brits don't usually show it. And yes, the weather is horrendous. The heat is KILLING ME.

Edit:

Oh yeah, the government sucks. Conservatives can SMD with the new uni costs happening in a year. I was going to take a year off, get some work experience in then go to uni, but I found out that with their new policies it will cost me an extra £15000 over the three years if I wait one year.

 

[Zantos]

I totally agree. I'm from England too. I don't dislike other countries or think we're better than them, but I too love the pubs, the community, the music, and by god I love the food!

Also, I may not support the reasons for the wars they are fighting but I have a lot of respect for the troops sent out there and the work they do.

 

[Togs]

Not sure of the exact definition but to me patriotism means "loving your country", meaing being blind ot its faults, failings and all those things that are wrong with it.

In my mind its better to like or enjoy living in oyur country- I like Britain, I like the British Reserve, I like tea, I like our architecture, our countryside, that fact that we seem to be the only country that can make ale, I like that faint sense of melancholy and whimsy that everyone has, I like the fact we dont suffer fools gladly, I like our music and how all our TV is gritty and dark, I like our comedy- few countries seem to get satire like we do and countless other things.

But do I love it? god no, we're an aged clumsy wreck riddled with antiquated traditions that should of seen the axe long ago, we have a whole line in privilege that needs to end now, their such a disaprity between our rich and poor its shocking, our government is run my ignorant, bigotted fools (cough*Cameron*cough) and we're still sucking on the churchs slong despite over 40% of the nation identifying as atheist or agnostic.

 

[Prince Regent]

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel
-Samuel Johnson

Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious - Oscar Wilde

Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism ? how passionately I hate them!
~ Albert Einstein

Can't beat old Alby

Anyway as far as I see it there are two kinds of patriotism.
One where it just means to be proud of your country. Wich is, just like pride, a useless emotion, but harmless.
The other where patriotism is used to exclude people who don't share a common heritage, religion, nationality or race. This obviously isn't a good thing.

 

[aba1]

Canadas pritty great I suppose I like that we have lots of variety in almost every single way from the people to even the geography and our people don't get as bent out of shape over stupid things like gay marrage n video game violence n just stupid ass topics like that.


But I do hate how the goverment takes after the states wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to often like if they do somthing half the time we do too. I also get annoyed when people try to get us to think of things that make us Canadians unique when really its that were not that makes us exactly that we have alot of everything so we dont do anything different but we do the so much of everything that we become unique in that sence (its wierd I know)


Also our history is not interesting I'm sorry people stop trying to act like we have some huge herritage or interesting back story we don't and we should be proud that we dont have to fight with everyone to earn that

 

[Timberwolf0924]

My Policitcal view is "I don't trust the government. But I believe in America" the government could topple and destory itself, but the US would still hold strong. It's the people whoe made the country what it is, not the governmen that made the people.

 

[LuckyClover95]

Not sure of the exact definition but to me patriotism means "loving your country", meaing being blind ot its faults, failings and all those things that are wrong with it.

In my mind its better to like or enjoy living in oyur country- I like Britain, I like the British Reserve, I like tea, I like our architecture, our countryside, that fact that we seem to be the only country that can make ale, I like that faint sense of melancholy and whimsy that everyone has, I like the fact we dont suffer fools gladly, I like our music and how all our TV is gritty and dark, I like our comedy- few countries seem to get satire like we do and countless other things.

But do I love it? god no, we're an aged clumsy wreck riddled with antiquated traditions that should of seen the axe long ago, we have a whole line in privilege that needs to end now, their such a disaprity between our rich and poor its shocking, our government is run my ignorant, bigotted fools (cough*Cameron*cough) and we're still sucking on the churchs slong despite over 40% of the nation identifying as atheist or agnostic.

Just because not everyone is religious doesn't mean the church should just stop existing - as a Christian I would take offense at this. I mean just because you're athiest or whatever doesn't mean the church should go away.