(Nationalist only) When you say you "love your country", whom/what about it do you love?

I want to know what motivates people with Nationalist belief to follow those beliefs. One phrase that often comes up in such debates is "I love my country" or "I am proud of my country". I respect that, but I find that the phrasing alone does not really tell me a whole lot. A "country" is an abstraction for a large number of things and people after all: The landscape, climate, or cityscapes, geographical features, wildlife, famous people living or dead, historical landmarks or the history itself, city life, rural life, legal and cultural institutions, traditions, everyday cultural elements, food, drink.... you get the idea, I hope.

So, when you say that you love your country, just what do you mean by that? What are the elements of your country that you think about when you are talking about your patriotism? What are the features that you believe makes your nation worthy to be proud of? In other words, why do you love your country/nation/tribe/ethnicity, what what do you love about it?

This does not have to be a rational argument, sometimes a concept invokes a specific sentiment or emotion that cannot always be approached by reason alone, and that's neither worthy of mockery nor unusual in my opinion.


NOTE: I don't really want this thread to turn into a debate on the validity of Nationalism as an ideology, so please respect the "Nationalist only" header.

I think in a very few words, 'in order to form a more perfect union', the realization that we, the United States of America, are not perfect and continue towards the renewal that speaks to today's unity, or correcting the lack of, based on the promises to ALL its citizens. Unfortunately, its not all progress, at times we regress.

I actually don't love this country (America) or even like it. I'd like for it to become a country I at least like.

I am only partially nationalist. Its not really about whether we love our country but whether we need borders and common ways of life. I think national borders could disappear if we had migrant nations somewhat like Judaism. They have succeeded, hence it is possible. Even without borders I think you'd still need nations though...some kind of justice system that wasn't global and to have some way to guarantee ownership and to have addresses and ways to deal with grievances, just like Jews have developed. I think gypsies also have something like this as well as bedouins though never on such a scale. It is, however, the end of borders potentially and of nationalism perhaps. There is a problem, however.

I think currently migrant nations could not work, because we don't have proper privacy control, but we could come up with a migrant addressing scheme with tech. This addressing is a plus but is also a problem. It is not refined. Any time you use a cell phone you're tracked. Anytime you walk outside you can be tracked by your face, height, gate. Your license plate is tracked. Its all so automated and practically costs the government nothing. Its both a solution and a very dangerous problem. There's no privacy any longer.

Consider this: Anyone who protests is known, marked, addressed and filed -- probably forever. They may not know it today, but their actions have been recorded. If that doesn't scare you it should. If you ever speak about your government now even if its here in the 'Land of the free', the government can look that up in a file somewhere. They probably can play back the path you took all day long, what your arms did and maybe play back what you spoke. That's because the technology has ballooned out, and the public is unaware of just how easily we are tracked. For that reason we still need borders.

Migrant nations are possible but not advisable. The only way a person can have a little privacy and autonomy is through living inside of borders -- borders that keep them in as well as keeping others out. Borders keep government disinterested in you. They know you're in the borders, somewhere, so they are less interested. Borders are protection and also containment, but the trade off is a little bit of privacy.

So...I am a nationalist sort of, but I think nations are a necessary evil currently not a panacea. I also think even if they become borderless they still have to exist.

Bill of Rights should be reason enough.

Bill of Rights

Yes, it is not perfect, but there are worse places to live. I always keep in mind that there are people who are willing to swim with sharks to get here.

Brickjectivity said:

I am only partially nationalist.

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That's true of me as well. To me, our ideals are a model for ourselves and the world. This includes the idea what we have inalienable rights that apply to everyone, not just and elite and that we can be and model the "new order of the ages".

So I love our ideals not the current instantiation.

Uniqueness.
Each country is unique. Just that.


The term Nation makes sense to me because it was a Latin term. Natio comes from the verb nascor which means to be born, but with a broader meaning. It is verb used also to say how rivers "are born" from the mountains.
It is the indissoluble bond to your own lands, to your own roots.

Isn't it odd you don't see that many well traveled nationalists?

Tambourine said:

I want to know what motivates people with Nationalist belief to follow those beliefs. One phrase that often comes up in such debates is "I love my country" or "I am proud of my country". I respect that, but I find that the phrasing alone does not really tell me a whole lot. A "country" is an abstraction for a large number of things and people after all: The landscape, climate, or cityscapes, geographical features, wildlife, famous people living or dead, historical landmarks or the history itself, city life, rural life, legal and cultural institutions, traditions, everyday cultural elements, food, drink.... you get the idea, I hope.

So, when you say that you love your country, just what do you mean by that? What are the elements of your country that you think about when you are talking about your patriotism? What are the features that you believe makes your nation worthy to be proud of? In other words, why do you love your country/nation/tribe/ethnicity, what what do you love about it?

This does not have to be a rational argument, sometimes a concept invokes a specific sentiment or emotion that cannot always be approached by reason alone, and that's neither worthy of mockery nor unusual in my opinion.


NOTE: I don't really want this thread to turn into a debate on the validity of Nationalism as an ideology, so please respect the "Nationalist only" header.

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"Nationalism" is a European word. Such a distinction doesn't exist in America.

Cooky said:

"Nationalism" is a European word. Such a distinction doesn't exist in America.

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Feel free to apply whatever term you feel applies to your worldview. You can answer the question in any way you deem fit.

Tambourine said:

Feel free to apply whatever term you feel applies to your worldview. You can answer the question in any way you deem fit.

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It's just a territory where our laws are applied. Those outside our borders run off their own laws.

Tambourine said:

I want to know what motivates people with Nationalist belief to follow those beliefs. One phrase that often comes up in such debates is "I love my country" or "I am proud of my country". I respect that, but I find that the phrasing alone does not really tell me a whole lot. A "country" is an abstraction for a large number of things and people after all: The landscape, climate, or cityscapes, geographical features, wildlife, famous people living or dead, historical landmarks or the history itself, city life, rural life, legal and cultural institutions, traditions, everyday cultural elements, food, drink.... you get the idea, I hope.

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You said what do you love, not what did you love?

Because right now we are very close to losing our country.

A country is as good and as bad as its people. Right now, this country's people are gutless and heartless.

I don't support nationalism. Nationalism is support of the country for its own sake. I support religion, low taxes, and small government. Liberalism supports minority handouts, using the education system to indoctrinate children, undermining the work force, and raising taxes to pay for all of this. Oh yeah, and regulations. Loads and loads of stupid regulations.

My heroes are Rousseau and Mencius. I prefer the idea of small state, and I dislike the idea of oppressive government.

Cooky said:

It's just a territory where our laws are applied. Those outside our borders run off their own laws.

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So why do you love it?

I understood what @Cookie means about Europe.
Europeans have to preserve Nations' uniqueness.
I don't want Germany to look like Italy or Italy to look like Germany.
It is the way Europe was conceived 2000 years ago.

Tambourine said:

So why do you love it?

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Honestly, I don’t. I guess you might be looking for someone else.

Cooky said:

I guess you might be looking for someone else.

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Yes, I was looking for Nationalists, as per the title which reads "Nationalist only".

Being born in a country that treats you well ought to be enough for national pride and respect for its flag to flourish. There are ideals that create love of country, for which if its gone, people would then realize what creates that love.