Patriotism

[jokerman]

Extremely positive.  Patriotism is great.  It's what binds people together and makes them more than individuals, it makes them one great country that binds together to crusade to accomplish the goals of society in a fantastic sense of nationalism.

[jokerman]

It can be used for....

let's celebrate the day we seperated from an oppresive ruler and gained our independence as a nation! 

or

flying our flags outside after the 9/11 attacks

Wee!  I love that, but it can be...

let's bomb the  out of those A-rabs and if you don't want to your un-American. 

That's the BS redneck patriotism that half the country practices. 

If you don't like the country you can leave.  I'm sure Gabu, Siege and the rest of the Canadians would gladly welcome you.

[jokerman]

Overall it is positive, though to the extent that it blinds people to rational analysis, it can become negative.

Pretty much the only time that patriotism becomes a bad thing is when it's used as a threat, as in, "You hold opinion X?  Why?  You don't want to be unpatriotic, do you?"

That's not necesarily a bad thing.  Some opinions are superior to others.  I think that the US right now needs a health dose of heavy nationalism.  People are motivated by their country to succeed and adhere to a higher moral and productive standard of life.  We could acomplish great things.

[jokerman]

Neutral. Most "patriotism" is the US is really nationalism and jingoinism, of which my opinion is very very negative. All nationalism is evil.

You only hate it because it could crush your political faction.

[jokerman]

Which according to your avatar color is also your political faction.

For examples of very nationalistic governments look at Saddam's Iraq, the Lebanese Falange, and oh, Germany in the late 30s/early 40s...

I'm not arguing that what Germany did was right.  However, you have to admit that nationalism was very effective for one country to steamroll across Europle.  The people were dedicated to the sucess of their country.

[jokerman]

Which according to your avatar color is also your political faction.

For examples of very nationalistic governments look at Saddam's Iraq, the Lebanese Falange, and oh, Germany in the late 30s/early 40s...

I'm not arguing that what Germany did was right.  However, you have to admit that nationalism was very effective for one country to steamroll across Europle.  The people were dedicated to the sucess of their country.

If being nationalistic would enable the USA to take over a whole continent, I'd be as anti-nationalistic as I could.

Whole continent.  The USA could take North America with our standing armies for crying out loud.  With a fierce nationalism movement and a healthy investment in nukes the US could take the whole world -being allied with Russia and maybe India, of course.

[jokerman]

Which according to your avatar color is also your political faction.

For examples of very nationalistic governments look at Saddam's Iraq, the Lebanese Falange, and oh, Germany in the late 30s/early 40s...

I'm not arguing that what Germany did was right.  However, you have to admit that nationalism was very effective for one country to steamroll across Europle.  The people were dedicated to the sucess of their country.

If being nationalistic would enable the USA to take over a whole continent, I'd be as anti-nationalistic as I could.

Whole continent.  The USA could take North America with our standing armies for crying out loud.  With a fierce nationalism movement and a healthy investment in nukes the US could take the whole world -being allied with Russia and maybe India, of course.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume you were on crack cocaine when you posted this.

No, I'm just feeling very patriotic at the moment.