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the idea of the nation state is a complete fiction, it's not real. People are real, they are the important bit, not the flag.
I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.
Who are Americans really ?
I don't know the answers but for some reason America has an incredibly effective way of taking numerous and diverse ethnicity immigrants and running them through a sausage factory to the point that within One generation they all emerge as starred and striped clones waving the star spangled banner and wholly identifying as proud Americans .....that seems to apply to Hispanics,Koreans,Italians,Polish ,Iranians,...........quite a phenomena.
In Europe immigrants seem to keep their identity much more defined and their allegiance too .If National Service was introduced half the UK population would say "I go back to my country ".
It seems that Europe and Australia allow multi-cultural society and are learning to celebrate it ........The USA does not have a multi-cultural society ......it has a multi-Origin Society but they all get "processed" and melded into an imprinted American Society to the point that they would probably fight for America if it declared war on their Country of Origin.
Perhaps to be an American is a far greater aspiration for their population than to be a Brit or a Spaniard etc is for our population.
They buy into the identity 100 % .
What does bug me about it is, like anything, when it gets rammed down my throat by people telling me I SHOULD be patriotic, especially if their reason for saying it is because another country is patriotic therefore so should I be.
Also, for those that are in the "the bad stuff that happened years ago was not me" then by what logic can you take pride now as you've not much more influence over what the country is doing now than you did back then. Unless you want to take full credit for the government's intended flouting of human rights, oppression of those most in need and media control.
But that's just my view, and I am quite happy with how I feel about this country, likewise patriotic folks are happy about their view of it - that's the beauty of us having our own viewpoints. I'm happy to listen to and contemplate other's views and fair play to them for having such views, however I'm not going to change just because people tell me I should, least of all because Americans are being used as a good example!
Likewise I'm not supporting England tonight, why should I? But I wish both sides luck and may the best team win
soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
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My statement stands, you are wrong.
I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.
soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.
Last refuge? Let's hope so.
Of course the US has it's revolution and subsequent creation of the US Constitution and State. All Americans can identify with these events. There's nothing wrong with this except that for most of US history the reality was replaced by a national 'myth'. The US was founded for wealthy white landowners, not for everybody.
It still seems to be the case that those not prepared to subscribe to the myth are still often accused of being un-patriotic or un-American.
You only have to look at Russia to see what happens when the state attempts to encourage a greater degree of patriotic fervour...
The rehabilitation of Stalin.
Just think back to the royal wedding when finally, we had a nation to be proud of, everyone, got out the key to their lock box hidden under the floorboards and got out their union jack bunting and hung it up while they had their crumpets and victory gin.
"Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother Britain."
I once heard a psychologist explain her idea of 'healthy patriotism', making a strong analogy to general mental health and a sense of self-worth. The basic gist:
Loving oneself and thinking you're brilliant without being able to acknowledge or attempt to deal with your faults and errors of your ways is not healthy - ie Narcissism. Blind patriotism - devotion to your country no matter what, and being unwilling to recognise the sins and crimes committed under the flag (past and present) is unhealthy, 'narcissistic' Patriotism.
Being consumed with all your faults, and with the 'sins of the father' (so to speak), and being persistently wracked with guilt is not good for mental health - essentially a fast-track to anxiety and depression. Being persistently ashamed of your country and only being able to focus on its faults - especially guilt for things that happened centuries ago - is not a healthy way to view your country and appreciate your place in the world.
Good mental health and a good sense of self-worth relies on being proud of who you are and what your strengths are, whilst also being able to recognise and attempt to rectify and come to terms with your faults and those of your forebears. It also relies on a healthy respect for the worth and qualities of everyone we come into contact with.
Healthy patriotism is about being proud of everything great about your country (past and present), while also recognising and trying to come to terms with the crimes and errors of ours and previous generations. And it is also about recognising equality with people of other nations and respecting their qualities and cultures.
I'm a proud Mackem, a proud Englishman, a proud Brit, proud EU-citizen and proud citizen of the world. I'm immensely proud of all the great things about our culture, past and present - our contributions to great literature, art, science, politics, our multi-cultural melting pot, and the general warmth of quality of our people. However I also recognise, attempt to come to terms with, and try to learn from the very many appalling crimes committed under the British flag both in the past and present. And I also don't believe we are somehow 'special' or better than people of other nations due to the fluke of where I happen to have been born.
It's just not for me, or anyone I know really.
I've been to America a few times, I have many good friends who live there and I was married to a US national for many years. It doesn't make my opinion more valid and I probably don't have any more insight into the subject than anyone else but it's given me a personal perspective.
God bless America? Really? Why? Assuming the majority of Americans believe in God, what makes America so special? If God exists, why would he choose America over any other country? And yet an American patriot believes America has God's blessing.
It also seems to me, and I might be wrong, that in the eyes of many Americans (not all), America can do no wrong, and if you dare say that the good old USA is as flawed as any other country you're anti-American, a traitor or a communist.
Mental, just mental.
I don't think a true Brit is any less patriotic, we're just a bit more measured about it. We don't need the fanfare that the US seems to crave. I think the average Brit's response to "God bless America" would be "Yeah, alright, mate" while rolling eyes and with a wry smile.
We're just a bit more grown up. America with its self important rhetoric is like a pre-teen child who has just learned a new and unfathomably complicated word and feels the need to include it in every sentence.
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
I accept that this is an idealistic position and doesn't reflect reality, but sometimes reality can go suck a large one as far as I'm concerned.
I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.
It's brainless and it's horse shit - but mostly it's a zero sum game.
Yes, we invented; parliamentary democracy, clean drinking water for the masses and television - but we also invented; Apartheid, concentration camps ...and television.