Greetings! First of all I have to excuse myself if my english isn't perfect. My native language isn't english, so I hope you'll show some understanding due to this Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I recently read about a study made by the University of Chicago where the point was to pinpoint which countries seemed to have the highest level of patriotism amongst it's nation members. *See link below if interested* This got me thinking a bit. America is, as I would expect, up there in the top patriotic nations. But why is it that countries such as Sweden, Slovakia, Italy etc are down at the bottom of the list? Why is it that it is accepted in some countries to be patriotic, and a lot less so in other countries? Do you find any reasons why this might be? Also, do you beleive that patriotism has a place in the future? The world is getting more and more focused on building unions. It would seem that the downside of patriotism is that it creates a "we and them" kind of theme. Is it possible to have union patriotism? Also, how large can a unique group become before a feeling of group belonging dimnishes? It seems as if patriotism really is just one way of feeling as a part of a group (which is not a negative thing in itself), but that should mean that the group might not be able to continue if there is no uniqueness left in it? e.g, a world patriotism. Would that be possible? Now, one more question. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of patriotism? A lot of question embedded in this, but I hope to get some form of discussion going on this subject! It would be very interesting to hear your thoughts on this! Thanks in advance! Links: University of Chicago - Study on international patriotism
The level of a nation’s patriotism is proportional to its level of ignorance and stupidity. Nothing makes for a better patriot than an obtuse imbecile whose only sense of identity comes from how accurately he mirrors those around him, making him feel like he belongs somewhere and that he is somebody – questioning nothing, knowing nothing, being nobody but a national identity contained within artificial geographical borders and historical contexts. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Ah thank you for the reply Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Don't be afraid to keep em coming! Thanks once again for taking the time to read this through!
internationalists are gluttons for vast centralized power. they will create the totalitarian world state. such dumbasses they are
Culture can explain some of the results. In Italy, which ranked only average, rampant family pride replaces the need for group belonging, and the need for an idealized governmental support is less important there. Also note that the Catholic Church is kind of the ruling entity in Italy, which has a different psychological effect on citizens than in America. Without religion dominating the picture, a country's citizens might direct their faith towards a different authority- the government. And then there's Ireland, which ranked first for pride in sports, literature and art, history, and being "a fair an equal society". Its not news that the Irish are culturally proud. Ancient Celts, who took over Ireland a while back, used to put the severed heads of their enemies on poles for spiritual beliefs as well as prestige. Its a cultural thing... Do ya think they drink American beer like Americans drink Irish beer?? In fact, national pride is a survival mechanism for a nation. (though I am too smart to have such pride for my country) Cultural evolution might explain why there's so much national pride in unforeseen countries. The last isolated tribe in the Amazon has retained its own culture, customs, and survival only because they live with the mindset to trust only their own, and distrust all outsiders. (that is, they shoot anyone who comes near with poisoned darts) Its a mix of factors. There's practical reasons, like the article noted about the Soviet states- Hungary, Russia, Poland- being at the very lowest of the scale. Not surprising after WWII and the failure and defeat of Communism. In America, not only have we won the race for world dominance, but the foundations of our country is on trust and pride in our government and its democracy. There's faith in democracy these days (though its finally rearing its ugly head here in America), so its no surprise that Japan, Austria, Canada, and the US were at the top in national pride.
