Is patriotism a good or bad thing..

too little is bad
too much is bad

 

People who voted 'good' and/or 'too little of it is a bad thing' must be tortured to death.

 

You throw the first stone then.

 

I think it's generally a good thing, so I voted that too much of it is a bad thing, which seems fair given that caveat. Personally, I'm extremely patriotic about my country. It has its problems, but I love this place -- and it's definitely better than your country.

That doesn't necessarily mean I am unquestioningly loyal to the man in the oval office, that's drifting into the "too much" flavor of patriotism. But as far as the and ideals that this country was founded on, and the essential ideas that Americans believe in (life, liberty, happiness), I'm with that 100%.

Oh, and...

...that would be Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening".

Yes, I actually learned that in school.

 

I came here to say exactly what AT98BooBoo said.

Don't confuse patriotism with nationalism, or jingoism.

 

put borders between man and see man beat eachother cause people from one side are not as good as people from the other......

god bless myside of the fucking fence........

its the stupidist concept ...well obviously one that works, polarise people in order to enflame an army.

get a bunch of people in a crowd and see how the shit flies, get the same people praising there fucking crowd, see the shit blow up all over the place

you really wanna be covered in shit?

 

demanding the truth is patriotic...

 

Blind Faith is not patriotic!

also

My protest is more patriotic than your blind faith!

 

I think patriotism is alright as long as people respect there must be different definitions and expressions of it for every individual. For me, I express my patriotism by being vehement and speaking out about upholding civil liberties. For others, it may be plastering their car with 'God Bless America' stickers. As long as I'm not considered 'unpatriotic' for not following a set definition for patriotism, I think it can be positive.

 

another world is possible, and people will create it, with or without something called america. which is after all the name of a mapmaker from the other side of the world, who never saw the place. a place where people had been living and making their own history for ten thousand years before it was 'discouvered' by the terrorist invasion of 1492. (or those of lief ericson, et al)

anything is possible (meaning big meanie getting its act togather after all). even studs turkle said "hope dies last".

but i do think most of the supporters of right-wing loonacy don't really give a rat, whatever altruism they may try to pretend, and are only in it for themselves. of course there are also the simple and or indifferent on "both sides of the isle".

what i don't understand, is how anyone can be proud, or be expected to be, of any country, under any idiology, economic, or belief, who'se message to the rest of the world amounts to "kiss our ass or we'll kill you". (which does seem to have been america's policy as long as it has been able to make it stick, which pretty much means most, if not all, of my life).

=^^=
.../\...

 

Personally I am extremely unpatriotic, but I think as long as your not overbaord,( waving your countries flag everywhere, mindless obediance/agreeance with the government, and don't take every little thing someone may not like about the country as a personal insult), then you are ok.

 

Patriotism is good and it would be more good if you think the whole world as your nation

 

I would say it doesn't really matter, but the way it's used in the US unfortunately includes hating anyone who isn't patriotic which is definitely bad so I put too much of it is bad

 

i meant to say to much is bad but i said good... if your patriotic thats good, pride in your country. but going overboard and killing everyone who doesnt like is fucked up.

 

I see Patriotism as wanting the best for your country and seeing its upsides, and seeing the downsides as having great potential to change for the better. I voted that it is good.

 

I think it's good if you need to organize people and make them accept war, and if you like helping rich people control the world's resources. Its about making you think of your life and your identity in terms of a series of carefully chosen symbols, and then using those symbols to manipulate you to act.

Honestly, what IS a country anyway? It's a space claimed by a certain group of people, and the people who work for those people. It's about making sure that rich people can't use what other rich people have already claimed.

Think of it this way: if there were no countries, then HOW would we know if we were at war... unless somebody came up and punched us personally in the face???

I'm no anarchist... but it's ignorant to assume that someone you don't know is somehow closer to you than someone else you don't know just because they're from the same country.

 

when it comes to tending house and your family members in it, loving your country is a very good thing. it's your home, the people in it are your family. sometimes you have to take out the garbage, sometimes you have to make dinner, sometimes you have completely renovate a section of it because it's crumbling. take care of the yard, take responsibility for your chores, pay your mortgage and utilities. and take care of your family, and help your neighbors when they ask.

 

I wouldn't say that patriotism is either good or bad. I would simply say it is completly useless. We're all humans and althought there are thousands of different cultures, it is pointless to divide them with imaginary lines.

 

i don't think the lines ARE imaginary, though, not in the practical sense. people of a country collectively pay for the services they receive, the roads they drive, the protection they receive. these things aren't imaginary, peole work very hard to pay for those services. while it's true that we are all just people, and people are going to do whatever they have to do to feed themselves, there's ARE things to consider with the coming and going of people not paying as much into the collective. but as for blowing other people up or stealing what they have a right to, that's just stupid and mean.

 

Patriotism is based totally on a person's view. It's considered a good thing to be so everyone tries to be one. I would say I am patriotic because I try for what I think is best for everyone, in my country or not, but others would definitely burn me at the stake.