From: James Wetterau (jwjr@ignition.name.net)
Date: Thu Apr 13 2000 - 12:06:06 MDT
Charlie Stross says:
> On Tue, Apr 11, 2000 at 05:03:10PM -0700, john grigg wrote:
> >
> > Just maybe, the man is a patriot and loves his country, warts and all.
>
> Just what on earth is there to love about _any_ country?
Well, you know, it might be pretty, a place with high standards of
justice, peace, freedom, culture, education and living in general; and
then, if we're dreaming, there might be majestic mountains, or at
least good ones for skiing :-), good roads, excellent land, great
waterways for sailing and plentiful water for drinking and
agriculture, interesting traditions, friendly people, respect for
virtue, learning, industry and science, good and plentiful food and
drink, a lot of opportunity, etc. Those things might inspire an
attachment to one's region or country of origin, one's "father land",
to trace the etymology of patriotism.
> Patriotism, IMO, is a very anti-extropian sentiment. ...
It's a sentiment rooted in attachment to home, but often also means
attachment to the authorities of one's country. This is where it
blends with nationalism -- love of one's nation -- which strikes me as
far more problematic and troubling. Especially when used to justify
killing people and destroying value without considering morality or
justice. Truly the 20th century demonstrated amply the terrors of
nationalism.
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