first off, we need to drop this false dichotomy between arbitrary words like patriotism and nationalism. it’s not as simple as “good vs bad” or “moderate vs excess”. you’re talking about two completely different points of pride.
nationalism is pride in a shared identity between people; patriotism is pride in the state of a country. and you ask for my opinion: both are bullshit.
I like how someone referenced schopenhauer. I prefer Sartre. In “antisemite and jew” he wrote about how the bigot, by putting down another group, instantly promotes himself into a group of the chosen ones, the good guys – all without doing anything.
that’s what pride in a group identity often does. elevates yourself based on the accomplishments of others. it’s a substitute for character.
HOWEVER we cannot dismiss all collective pride this way. when a group we actually belong to and contribute to actually does something good, why not be proud of it? the trouble is, the more people you involve in this collection, the less any single individual needs to actually DO to contribute.
that’s why I honestly believe nationalism is less toxic than patriotism: because there can be many smaller groups (nationalism) within a country (patriotism).
the anarchist perspective is that a nation is a PEOPLE and the state is a parasite. patriotism is pride in the state, not the people. why be proud of tapeworms?
first off, we need to drop this false dichotomy between arbitrary words like patriotism and nationalism. it’s not as simple as “good vs bad” or “moderate vs excess”. you’re talking about two completely different points of pride.
nationalism is pride in a shared identity between people; patriotism is pride in the state of a country. and you ask for my opinion: both are bullshit.
I like how someone referenced schopenhauer. I prefer Sartre. In “antisemite and jew” he wrote about how the bigot, by putting down another group, instantly promotes himself into a group of the chosen ones, the good guys – all without doing anything.
that’s what pride in a group identity often does. elevates yourself based on the accomplishments of others. it’s a substitute for character.
HOWEVER we cannot dismiss all collective pride this way. when a group we actually belong to and contribute to actually does something good, why not be proud of it? the trouble is, the more people you involve in this collection, the less any single individual needs to actually DO to contribute.
that’s why I honestly believe nationalism is less toxic than patriotism: because there can be many smaller groups (nationalism) within a country (patriotism).
the anarchist perspective is that a nation is a PEOPLE and the state is a parasite. patriotism is pride in the state, not the people. why be proud of tapeworms?