Hello patriotism, goodbye critical thinking and common sense!

Patriotism is a disturbing concept. Seen as a positive quality in citizens and encouraged by every government since the dawn of mankind: your absolute love for the country where you happened to be born or grow up in; your absurd pride in it; your willingness to defend it with your life; your firm belief that it is the best country in the world; your conviction that you, as its people, are superior to everyone else; your quite reasonable suspicion that immigrants will sully…

Hey, wait a minute! How did we progress to nationalism?

Easily. Just wrap it in a flag and it becomes palatable. It makes you feel good and righteous, doesn’t it, swallowing the propaganda that your government is spewing forth. And they all do it, make no mistake.

Nationalism is insidious, it cloaks itself in any garment available to get approval from the moronic masses. Neither of the world wars nor most conflicts in Europe over the centuries would have happened without nationalism. You may object and point out that many of these were started in the name of religion. But what is religion about if not blind allegiance to its self-proclaimed prophets, managers and business developers? ‘My god is superior to yours. Therefore I know I’m a better person than you and your tribe. And if you don’t agree my god will smite you, using me as his weapon.’

Nationalism by any other name is still nasty. It is the last resort of insecure sheep who need safety in numbers, and insecure leaders who need sheep to rule over. Beware of any country which requires you to idolise its head of state. Or implies that is has a special relationship with a make-believe deity, finishing every public announcement by bestowing a blessing on its people.