Superstition and patriotism--a pointless topic

Ah, the Onion! Yeah, it sounded a little too blatant to be anything that someone would allow to actually go on record. That link was pretty funny. Panda-B-Gone?

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patriotism is a menace to liberty

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Remember a Old Song By Simon and Garfunkle

"I am a Rock, I am a Island!" ""Because a Rock Feels no pain, and a Island never dies!"

No man is a Rock, or an Island........

Patriotism is a colaberation, a type of religion if you will, for those that belive in the same general values, of said subject matter.


bjl

 

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It's all about borders isn't it? Within these borders dwell groups. Grouping is a human response to exterior threats. We hope our tribe is powerful enough to turn aside an attack from another tribe. We gain courage by puffing out our chests and dancing around the fire with our fellow tribal warriors. Waving a flag is equivalent to dancing around the fire. We wear the symbols of our tribe with the pride that comes from belonging to a group. There is comfort in belonging to something larger than ourselves; a powerful country, a religion, a bowling club.

Borders are mostly drawn across a map as a political expedient. But we come to think of the placement of these borders as sacred. What would have been different had the borders of the United States included Canada? What if Canada instead included all of North America? In the latter case, there would have been no American Revolution, and no war of 1812. We would still obey our laws, go to work, and educate our children just the same. If I then suggested breaking apart North America into two countries you would think me crazy.

For example, I agree with a suggestion I once heard that the US/Canadian border might better have been drawn along longitudinal instead of latitudinal lines. All the politicians had to do was give the map a 90 degree spin before they drew the line. As a New Englander I tend to have more in common with a man from Halifax or Montreal, than I have with a man from Las Vegas. A man from Edmonton, Alberta might well have more in common with a man from Billings, Montana, than either of them have with a man from Boston or Quebec City.

In the 1860's the American South requested that a new latitudinal line be drawn on our maps. Abe Lincoln refused. The ensuing war fought over this idea of drawing another imaginary line on the map killed just under a half million Americans. But what if Lincoln had generously allowed that line to be drawn? How different would the world seem today? Would slavery exist today in the Confederate States of America (CSA)? I don't think so. Slavery in America would have died on its own, almost certainly by 1900. The USA and the CSA would have joined forces in WW2 to help defeat the Axis powers. We would be as close trading partners as the USA is today with Canada. None of us would give much thought to the fact that three countries make up North America instead of two. We would have inherited the situation and think of it as normal.

I'd rather my neighbors were good citizens more than good patriots. My favorite T-shirt had an image of our blue planet on it, and underneath were the simple words, "All One People". Unfortunately, I wore it to death and can't find a replacement (Anyone know where I might find another?)

"Patriotism is a pernicious, psychopathic form of idiocy" George Bernard Shaw

Michael

 

But what of Florida?

This is all well enough, but as a New Englander, what can you possibly do about Florida? Either way, you get to deal with that?

I'm in Seattle, man. Our weather's Canadian, eh.

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thanx,
Tiassa

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this reminds me of the time they tried to split California into two states. They wanted to cut it just south of Sacramento, which would have put the San Francisco Bay Area in Southern California. Well, the good people of Silicon Valley (Santa Clara Valley) pride themselves on being NORTHERN Californians, and refuse to associate themselves with the beach-bum/bimbo stereotype of Southern California, and the good people of the Hollywood region argued a similar case along cultural lines, that we up north were too much of workaholics to earn the title of "So Cal". Most said that if there was going to be a split, to split it just south of Monterey. Well, that would have upset somebody's demographic applecart, so the whole idea was scrapped.

Now I live in a region called Central California, which shares much in common with Southern California, but has its economic ties firmly rooted with Northern California. The culture here is decidedly Central Californian, with an emphasis on clean and inexpensive public water to keep the region liveable and farmable (it had been a desert before the Spanish settlers) and a feeling of civic calmness that is unreal. People here just don't get excited about much, unless the city tries to flouridate the water supply, in which case the townsfolk threaten to burn down city hall. (THAT got kind of funny. Picture a modern city street with throngs of angry peasants fully supported by the police. Need I add that the city council backpedalled on their decision? Now the farmers are keeping the water in check, since their livelihoods depend on unflouridated water. The council doesn't dare make a move toward the reservoirs.)

At some point, we just accepted the fact that Californians are a weird, ecclectic lot. We're uptight, we're laid-back, or else we're pitchfork wielding peasants storming into the city council chambers and demanding that the voice of the public be heard. It's a colorful place all right, and we just accept the differences that go with each region. So who cares what borders are where? People are either going to get along or else they aren't, and no geopolitical line drawn on a piece of paper is ever going to change that.

 

Oregon's gone through it, too

When touring colleges, one that I decided against was Southern Oregon State College, in Ashland. One of the things they note during the tour is a few things around the school named "Jefferson". Apparently, at one point, it was proposed that from about Sacramento north to ... oh, possibly Eugene, but I think it was a more southerly landmark ... should be reserved as a territory and admitted to the Union under the name State of Jefferson. It never happened, obviously. I have none of the detail; it's just a factoid that popped into my head when I read Oxygen's post.

thanx,
Tiassa

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It's because of their patriotism that the Germans started the World War II. It's because of patriotism that France and Germany disputed Alsace/Lorraine for centuries. It's because of patriotism that England and France fough for centuries. It's because of patriotism that Israel and Palestine are allways in war. It's because of patriotism that the US fought in so many wars...

I could go on and on...

Patriotism is stupid. We are not Brazilians, Canadians, Americans or whatever... we live in the same planet, we share the same home: Earth. And anyone that we hurt affect us directly or indirectly. We are all one nation, not a bunch of. It's all about cultural differences. It's all about tolerance and Harmony. There are many tolerants, but Harmony is the ideal.

We can have different cultures, different beliefs, different ideals... but it's our differences that make the world interesting. If we were all equal, the world would be a real boring place to live in...

Stop patriotism. Peace among us; peace in the world.

Love,
Nelson

 

TruthSeeker

I'll raise a glass to that one. Several, in fact.

thanx,
Tiassa

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