[Reader-list] Patriotism

[V Ramaswamy]

Nationalism is our form of incest, is our idolatry, is our insanity. 
"Patriotism" is its cult. It should hardly be necessary to say, that by
"patriotism" I mean that attitude which puts the own nation above humanity, 
above the principles of truth and justice; not the loving interest in one's 
own nation, which is the concern with the nation's spiritual as much as with 
its material welfare - never with its power over other nations.

Just as love for one individual which excludes the love for others is not 
love, love for one's country which is not part of one's love for humanity is
not love, but idolatrous worship.

Erich Fromm


One should add: its so easy to be patriotic and nationalist, its so cheap, 
it doesn't cost anything! But its much more diffucult to "do" anything. Only 
someone who exerts and sacrifices himself for the "nation", for others, has 
the moral the right to speak of the nation. Then at least there would'nt be 
any cacophony of sham-patriotism.

V Ramaswamy
Calcutta