"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." ~~Thomas Jefferson
"Who will protect us from those who protect us?"
Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. ~ Thomas Jefferson
"None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free." ~~Goethe
2 comments:
Much has been written and said about patriotism, some of it inspirational, some of it condemnational.
I’ve been around for 73 years now . . . spent time in at least a dozen foreign countries. Twenty-four of those years were on active duty military (USN).
My MA is in English Lit, and I’ve read stacks of books on various topics, including philosophy, religion, politics, history. What I’ve boiled it all down to is this:
The best way to understand the concept of love for one’s native land is to live in and by the rules of a foreign one. Life in a foreign country can be exciting, dangerous, fulfilling, educational, boring . . . and when you come back to the Land of the Big Geedunk, you begin to realize that patriotism is love of one’s country and the unique personality of its people; nationalism is contempt for the laws and rules and habits of others’.
IOW, those who have criticized patriotism were in fact decrying nationalism, or hatred for others, not love of one’s own country and willingness to defend its principles, its customs, its traditions, its history.
Excellent. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
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