Patriots consider themselves in nirvana?

Monbiot in the Guardian:

I'm not ashamed of my nationality, but I have no idea why I should love this country more than any other.

Because if you and others like you don't, you'll loose it.

And how utterly wrong:

To become a patriot is to lie to yourself, to tell yourself that whatever good you might perceive abroad, your own country is, on balance, better than the others.

Patriotism is not as simple as that. To be a patriot you do not have to believe that your country is, on balance, better than the others (I certainly don't believe that to be the case). To want to make it better than it is and to take pride in the good things is a perfectly realistic patriotic position. Heaven knows there were Americans during their civil war that were patriotic in recognition of the fact that their country was in need of major improvement.

Posted by John at August 9, 2005 12:23 PM | TrackBack