Patriotism (1 Viewer)

[thorrnydevil]

OK, there are some out there who hate Australia. There are others, like myself, who love it.

I want to know who loves their country.

VanCarBus, OK, you don't have to participate because your a fucking turncoat dick head...go stab yourself in the back...not our country.

 

[Kulazzi]

I love my country (and spelling mistake, i think you mean their not there)

 

[thorrnydevil]

I love my country (and spelling mistake, i think you mean their not there)

Thanks...it has been corrected.

 

[Kulazzi]

Thanks...it has been corrected.

no worries...

 

[nerd2die4]

I love Australia. It's the best country in the world. tommy lamp doesn't agree, he likes greece more even though he live here.

 

[paper cup]

I love Australia...ive been around the world and sydney has to be one of the most beautiful cities on earth...nothing beats it


However everyone has to aware that blind nationalism often destroys the truth...however people tend to accuse people who criticise as seditious or 'Un Australian' - the most stupid phase often coined by our leaders...

Nothing is sacred not even national indentity. Truth is ultimate and more important that pride and blind glorious parochialism...


In many ways Australian history is built on a lie and recognising the faults of our past should not make us any less proud to be Australian. Whether your perscribe to the true black arm band view of Australian history or the often false and blindly nationalistic view of Australian history is up to you

------------------------

For example...i recently did a history assingment on the ANZAC legend...its a lie...its false...but it has built up a myth or legend of what Australia is...and we all worship it as our national day...out of respect for diggers and in order to be 'proud' we often dont question it...

From one of my assingments - a draft i dont have the original copy





CEW Bean offical war history is, as is reocgnised by most, slanted...

sorry for any mistakes in the above...its an old draft...also reference and foot notes or excluded

yes Australia is one of the best places to live in the world. political...social...economic stability...it's also beautiful physically...nationalism should be actively encouraged...
however overt nationalism can be dangerous...and can merge onto fascism.

 

[loquasagacious]

Whilst there is much to be proud of in Asutralia, as Asquith points out some of the things which we are proud of are lies. The ANZAC legend is among these, the best inightment I have read of it was a HTA winning essay by a Student from St Ignatius (i think).

As for the encouraging of patriotism/nationalism I think that this a grave error, I think that there is to great a risk of this becoming extreme nationalism and or being used either as a pretext for war and/or repression or for the repression of the truth. I think that pride in ones country should come naturally and that all should endevour that the country inspires such pride. However I am strongly opposed to fostering nationalism.

The danger of nationalism being subverted is too great.

 

[paper cup]

Whilst there is much to be proud of in Asutralia, as Asquith points out some of the things which we are proud of are lies. The ANZAC legend is among these, the best inightment I have read of it was a HTA winning essay by a Student from St Ignatius (i think).

As for the encouraging of patriotism/nationalism I think that this a grave error, I think that there is to great a risk of this becoming extreme nationalism and or being used either as a pretext for war and/or repression or for the repression of the truth. I think that pride in ones country should come naturally and that all should endevour that the country inspires such pride. However I am strongly opposed to fostering nationalism.

The danger of nationalism being subverted is too great.

yes but no nationalism at all would be dangerous too.
australia is something to be proud of...I know some take it to overt extremes...but they comprise a minority, so it shouldn't be much of a problem here.

 

[thorrnydevil]

yes but no nationalism at all would be dangerous too.
australia is something to be proud of...I know some take it to overt extremes...but they comprise a minority, so it shouldn't be much of a problem here.

Yes, taken to extremes, nationalism can be a very dangerous, but powerful tool.

However, i don't think there are to many gun totting nationalists driving around Australia shooting Greenies...unfortunately.

 

[paper cup]

"Patriotism is a virtue of fools and evil." Oscar Wilde, I believe.

But that's beside the point. When it comes to patriotism, I think Australia's all right. That said, I'm not really all that patriotic, as there are plenty of things wrong with the nation that really need to be fixed. And also in sports. I hate watching cricket because Australia ALWAYS wins so it gets a bit same old same after a while.

So when it comes to patriotism, I guess I'm neither here nor there.
just my two cents.

oh your post is so refreshing after a week arguing with the liberal hotheads in here

yeh, I agree with you, some things could be improved, but on the whole we're much better off than other nations...not just the developing nations but the developed ones as well...many would rather live in aus than UK or US...we should be grateful for what we have, I know I am, even in a crappy regional school.
yes, we take our sport way too seriously...I mean just look at our medal count in comparison to Canada's (about the same size geographically, similar economically, politically etc.)
just my two cents.

 

[um..]

yeah i read that book on the anzacs, it was pretty interesting. possibly a lecturer from my uni wrote it

 

[OZGIRL86]

I love Australia

 

[Iron]

Im not too impressed with Australia of late. I especially can't stand empty headed jerks who rave on and on about how great this country is...Sure, we're politically, economically, militarily very fortunate, but I dont think this in itself warrants patriotism. Mainstream Aussie culture doesn't impress me too much (sport, vulgarity, yoboism etc.). Historically and currently, we have a bit to be ashamed of too... If anything, we're an empty place open to everybody...a mix of cultures around the world, which is all good and well, but I cant help thinking that in terms of culture, ideas, values etc. the majority anglo-saxon pop. "still call Europe home"

 

[paper cup]

Im not too impressed with Australia of late. I especially can't stand empty headed jerks who rave on and on about how great this country is...Sure, we're politically, economically, militarily very fortunate, but I dont think this in itself warrants patriotism. Mainstream Aussie culture doesn't impress me too much (sport, vulgarity, yoboism etc.). Historically and currently, we have a bit to be ashamed of too... If anything, we're an empty place open to everybody...a mix of cultures around the world, which is all good and well, but I cant help thinking that in terms of culture, ideas, values etc. the majority anglo-saxon pop. "still call Europe home"

heh would I be the empty headed jerk you're talking about? if so, stfu.
have you ever been to a third world country?
do, and compare.

 

[Benny_]

"A Powerful irony is at work here. Nationalism was once a force of integration and unification. a movement aimed at bringing together disparate clans, tribes and cultural fragments under new, assimilationist flags. But as Ortega y Gasset noted more than sixty years ago, having won its victories, nationalism changed its strategy. In the 1920s, and again today, it is more often a reactionary and divisive force, pulverizing the very nations it once helped cement together. The force that creates nations is "inclusive," Ortega wrote in The Revolt of the Masses......"

Benjamin R. Barber, Jihad vs McWorld

I know this quote is taken out of context (it actually refers to Eastern European post-Soviet and Middle Eastern countries), but I believe it does apply to first wold countries to some extent as well. Nationalism can be a good thing used to unite the entire country, but misplaced nationalism can be an extremely divisive force, especially in a multicultural country such as Australia.

 

[veanz]

have you ever been to a third world country?
do, and compare.

CB, compare the people: sincere praticality and finding happiness in simplicity, to consumerism and captilism.

 

[Iron]

have you ever been to a third world country?
do, and compare.

Yes I have, and that was kinda my point...I mean it's not like we've personally suffered for our affluence...what makes us better/more deserving than someone in Iraq or Ethiopia?...it makes one feel a little guilty at the inequity, not "proud to be Australian" i.e. 'you looser countries are loosers cause we have more money'

 

[paper cup]

CB, compare the people: sincere praticality and finding happiness in simplicity, to consumerism and captilism.

heh. where's the blissful simplicity in utmost destitution, in not being able to pay for your children's education or basic necessities. oh and the rampant bribery and corruption.
iron woman I get your point...*sigh* don't drag me into another conflict, I just finished one...
well basically it's whitey's fault those countries are so poor...french/british colonisation mostly. what the belgians did in congo...
but it's not a situation that can be resolved in a year, a decade...a century perhaps.
we give aid to developing countries...and while that may not be enough...there's not much else that can be done...patriotism, in the sense asq was describing it, is not Great Power nationalism, i.e. as you said, 'we're better because we have money', but an appreciation of our culture. australia is vastly unique. not better than other nations, but unique. australians should be aware of, and proud of this.
is this so wrong?
that said, I'm chinese, a naturalised citizen, so, perhaps, I don't even have the right to be patriotic.

 

[Iron]

I challenge you to describe how we are unique (not that i want a conflict either)

 

[paper cup]

I challenge you to describe how we are unique (not that i want a conflict either)

OK. lets keep this nice. no attacking me in sig, just tell me how I'm wrong.

well we're the largest island nation.

we have a range of diverse fauna and flora.

we have the cleanest beaches in the world.

we have a relationship with asia that the US and UK will never have.

we have a small population, and yet we manage to make the top 5 in the olympics.

we are a predominantly urban nation, with 80% concentrated in syd, melbourne, brisbane etc.

and so on.