Put Away Your Flags?
Happy July Fourth. I think there are still good things about America and Americans, and I’m going to celebrate. Any holiday that involves beer, hot dogs, and blowing things up can’t be all bad. These are dark days for our country though, and some feel that maybe we should look at what our nationalism has wrought. I tend to agree. I found this article by Howard Zinn that expresses much of my thinking, and appears to have engendered lots of discussion. I’d repeat it in whole but it has one of those silly little copyright notices at the bottom, so I’m going to post the start and link to it. I wonder what others think of…
On July 4, Put Away the Flags
“On this July 4, we would do well to renounce nationalism and all its symbols: its flags, its pledges of allegiance, its anthems, its insistence in song that God must single out America to be blessed.
Is not nationalism — that devotion to a flag, an anthem, a boundary so fierce it engenders mass murder — one of the great evils of our time, along with racism, along with religious hatred?”
Read the rest of the story at On July 4, Put Away the Flags
(The above image is claimed as Fair Use under US copyright law. It is not being used for profit and is central to illustrating the post. Credit and thanks to the Canant Veterinary Hospital.)
Doug's Darkworld 
God does not bless only America, and America should take notice that God may not bless evil done in his name or in the name of America. Get over yourselves.
whig
July 4, 2007 at 2:55 pm
I agree with you. Nationalism is an evil thing.
Manas
July 5, 2007 at 6:33 am
It’s certainly easy for people to pervert nationalism to their own ends, sometimes for merely selfish ends and sometimes truly evil. There’s a line between loving your country and blindly obeying your government, and it can be hard to discern.
unitedcats
July 5, 2007 at 8:48 am
Love people, not flags.
whig
July 5, 2007 at 9:43 am
We do indeed have a nation:
It has borders (but they are not enforced)
It has a language (but it is not enforced)
It has idiots leading it that the moment though who want to flood this country with cheap labor, and have taxpaying Americans pick up the hidden costs…
These idiots (aka Republicans and Democrats) report to the same handlers (aka Corporate America).
Nationalism means putting your citizens first, so lets not confuse the acts of Corporatism with Nationalism.
It is Corporatism that is ruining America for AMERICANS.
True Nationalism is dead in this country and thats the way the politicians want it. So if you think Nationalism is bad you are exactly where the ‘handlers’ want you.
ET
July 6, 2007 at 9:37 am
Unbridled nationalism is bad, as is unbridled corporatism. This nation is supposed to be of, by and for the people, not the corporations.
whig
July 6, 2007 at 11:01 am
Well, if you chuck out the fervor for own nation, then you don’t need nationalism as a separate entity. Because it is in the context of clash of interests that nationalism tends to play it’s most important roles.
So if you agree that all humans have the same dignity regardless of nationality, plain honesty and goodwill will do better than nationalism.
Manas
July 7, 2007 at 9:46 pm