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Originally posted by sh76Some baseball fans will claim their team is "the best" and will consider any criticism of their team to be an insult or an attack. They'll thump their chest are shout "We Rule!!"
I agree with you. It's not "really" patriotic. But, it sounds patriotic and appeals to patriotic emotion to say you're the best at something. Also, if you're a politician and you say how great the country is, people feel better about you than if you say our country's policies stink.
It's like baseball*. You may not really believe that your team has the best Red Sox tonight and the Empire is getting ready to strike back. I'm in a baseball mood.
But there are other fans that are extremely knowledgeable about their team and what its strengths and weaknesses are. They will debate about how best to improve the team, with many different opinions and arguments offered, and sometimes they may be ruthless in their criticisms.
But when the team is going through rough times, I suspect that most of the "we rule types" will jump ship in favor of the bandwagon du jour -- while the more "realistic fans" are more likely to stick with their team. Likewise, those people who are willing to honestly assess their nation's strengths and weaknesses are the much less likely to be mere "sunshine patriots"
Originally posted by generalissimoWell, I think some people think patriotism is equal to uncritical love for one's country.
Patriotism can lead to fanaticism, and so can anything.
I think it is good that people are proud of their country, but that doesn't mean they have to be irrational, recognising that mybe others countries do something better doesn't make you less patriotic.
I think criticizing one's country is patriotism in it's best form since it's an honest desire to improve the country. The "love it or leave it" attitude violates this.
I agree that recognising that other countries may do something better doesn't make you less patriotic, but there are those that seem to think that.
Originally posted by utherpendragonSo if I can paraphrase Samuel Johnson a little, then if patriots are those who steal back their country's rights from being systematically eroded from without, then they are nothing more than a bunch of scoundrels who stand in the way of progress, globalisation and the New World Order.
"He that wishes to see his country robbed of its rights cannot be a patriot.
-Samuel Johnson
Shame on them!
