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Originally Posted by evollove

I'm American but I prefer English culture. What does that make me?

oh, i don't wanna go there

Originally Posted by Phlegmscope

I feel that nationalism is, on some level, intrinsically arrogant concept, because it often has an idea of unequality of peoples with different background. It's sporting team logic. i.e. "we are above the others".

It becomes dangerous when it's being used as a tool of power. Nationalism is often fueled by nostalgic ideals and fantasies, which has a blinding effect on people. Thus they feel that they're justified to do a lot of the stupid shit they do.

I understand that nationalism has it's time and place in the history, but modern nationalism / patriotism seems to go hand in hand with conservatism, which I find regressive. I don't understand this craving for the imaginary "good ol´ times".

you could be a nationalist and a futurist-- e.g. marinetti and his protofascist friends. while the original ideas of nation had to do with "blood" and the "mother/fatherland" and all that shit, it's not necessarily a throwback. going to the moon was a nationalistic pursuit but it was very much about conquering the future (it didn't work, but that's another story).

nationalism is in the end just a form of social identity, which goes with our tribal/herd instinct-- you belong to a family, a tribe, a city, a nation, etc. we're social animals and it's part of our human nature, harcoded in DNA. the issue is not if should exist or not: it can and it will. the issue is how to make it productive and beneficial instead of some dumbfuck shithead psychological dysfunction like hooliganism or perpetual warfare, much like you can be part of an awesome family or an alcoholic fucked up one. and yes, the "national family" of any country has a lot of sad drunken uncles, senile grandmas, and crackhead cousins.