Scary? For me that would entail feeling some level of fear. I'm personally not fearful of this.

I would question anyone's blind devotion to anything as suspect. I suppose some things do not matter in comparison. Devotion to the local Elk's Lodge seems to not harbor much impact as say blind agnosticism.

I agree with most all the sentiments expressed here. One association to the word "provincial" is to imply someone is narrow and perhaps a rube. To say someone is patriotic somehow escapes that connotation but I'm not sure why, especially when you look at the worst sorts of Americans who wrap themselves in the flag. Must be the power of tradition.

(March 10, 2017 at 5:38 pm)PETE_ROSE Wrote: Scary?  For me that would entail feeling some level of fear.  I'm personally not fearful of this.

I would question anyone's blind devotion to anything as suspect.  I suppose some things do not matter in comparison.  Devotion to the local Elk's Lodge seems to not harbor much impact as say blind agnosticism christianity.

Fixed that up for you.

I am a citizen of the world. Why should I feel proud about places that quite often defined by arbitrary lines. I'm British so not a particularly good example but I FEEL European and don't understand the ENGERLAND rhetoric that seems to pervade the culture now days. Its like I'm surrounded by people from the past.

What happens when the biggest enemy turns out to be your own leader?

(March 11, 2017 at 11:53 am)Minimalist Wrote:

What happens when the biggest enemy turns out to be your own leader?

I would still feel patriotic towards my country and people (this includes you my friend). That doesn't mean that I would feel patriotic towards my government or its leader.

I really don't like the government much at all. It's a necessary evil. I always assume that the government is up to no good until it's proven otherwise.

(March 10, 2017 at 4:56 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Unreasoning devotion to anything worries me.

Boru

Dead bang. 

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(March 11, 2017 at 11:53 am)Minimalist Wrote:

What happens when the biggest enemy turns out to be your own leader?

I swore an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign or domestic.

How can anyone believe a word this asshole says?

(March 11, 2017 at 2:26 pm)KUSA Wrote: I would still feel patriotic towards my country and people

I guess you have to make a distinction there. I don't know about you, but I feel patriotic over some things, but at the other hand I feel it's patriotic to stand up against certain things. If my country were to stand for inhumane and despicable things, I would feel it to be my duty to do something against that. That's not lack of patriotism but it's fulfillment. My country, right or wrong, doesn't cut it after 1945.

(March 11, 2017 at 4:03 pm)abaris Wrote:

(March 11, 2017 at 2:26 pm)KUSA Wrote: I would still feel patriotic towards my country and people

I guess you have to make a distinction there. I don't know about you, but I feel patriotic over some things, but at the other hand I feel it's patriotic to stand up against certain things. If my country were to stand for inhumane and despicable things, I would feel it to be my duty to do something against that. That's not lack of patriotism but it's fulfillment. My country, right or wrong, doesn't cut it after 1945.

I look at my country and my government as two separate things.

I love my country, I don't love my government.