Patriotism = Parochialism

[bigboab]

Patriotism is refusing the offer of cheap tea from your colonial masters and betters. Then dumping the said tea in Boston harbour.


@Hobbes sorry you did not win an Oscar for your part in 'I Wabbit'.

[Busyman]

It is easier to unite when you uniting for something. This is very evident in the black community of America. If whites here were still acting the way they did from 60's and earlier then we'd be more tightly knit. Now some of my young brothas and sistas don't have a clue.

Common ground = unison

Many things get in the way of uniting like money, culture, etc.

For the record I am an American first, global citizen second.

Many Americans see their country as being the best place to live. They think the freedoms that they have outweigh the amount of crime they have to deal with.

America wants other countries to be like it as well.

[j2k4]

It is easier to unite when you uniting for something. This is very evident in the black community of America. If whites here were still acting the way they did from 60's and earlier then we'd be more tightly knit. Now some of my young brothas and sistas don't have a clue.

As an aside-

If you believe whites aren't acting as they did previously, why would your younger brethren need these clues you speak of?

Other than that, great post.

[Busyman]

As an aside-

If you believe whites aren't acting as they did previously, why would your younger brethren need these clues you speak of?

Sorry j but that's a dumb question.

You may as well say...

"Why is it necessary to teach history?"

[sArA]

Uniz,

I think Sara was referring to an actual overt alien encounter. It is only then that we will act as a unified planet. Our animal nature will make us work together to save our skins from the alien invasion.

Kind of like Iraq. People who ordinarily would be fighting one another, are working together to rid a common foe, the US.

I think Sara summed it up quite nicely. We are all animals who place our personal security first.

We may talk abstractly about "doing the right thing" and "everyone should just get along", but if you are asked to give up the things you take for granted (food, computer, toilet, electricity, car, etc) strictly for the sake of thinking globally and redistributing the wealth to those poorer areas, then you will see the the selfish animal emerge. Then you will see revolution.

Precisely

[bigboab]

A Man's A Man For All That
Is there for honest poverty one who hangs his head and all that?
The coward slave we pass him by we dare be poor for all that!
For all that! And all that! Our toils obscured and all that,
Their rank is but the guinniea's stamp, the man's the gold for all that!

But though on homely fare we dine wear hodden-grey and all that
Give fools their silks and knaves their wine; a man's a man for all that.
For all that and all that. their tinsel ,show and all that.
The honest man though e're so poor is king of men for all that.

See yond snob they call,'the lord' who struts and stares and all that
Though hundreds worship at his word he's but a goof for all that
For all that and all that; his ribbon,star and all that
The man of independant mind he looks and laughs at all that.

A Prince can make a belted knight, a marquis ,duke and all that
But the honest man's above their might,good faith he won't befall that
For all that and all that their dignities and all that,
His pith of sense and pride of worth are higher rank than all that.

Then let us pray that come it may as come it will for all that
That sense and worth o'er all the earth shall be the goal for all that
For all that and all that; its coming yet for all that,
That man to man the whole world o'er shall brothers be for all that

Robert Burns(1759-96)

[uNz[i]]

A Man's A Man For All That
Is there for honest poverty one who hangs his head and all that?
The coward slave we pass him by we dare be poor for all that!
For all that! And all that! Our toils obscured and all that,
Their rank is but the guinniea's stamp, the man's the gold for all that!

But though on homely fare we dine wear hodden-grey and all that
Give fools their silks and knaves their wine; a man's a man for all that.
For all that and all that. their tinsel ,show and all that.
The honest man though e're so poor is king of men for all that.

See yond snob they call,'the lord' who struts and stares and all that
Though hundreds worship at his word he's but a goof for all that
For all that and all that; his ribbon,star and all that
The man of independant mind he looks and laughs at all that.

A Prince can make a belted knight, a marquis ,duke and all that
But the honest man's above their might,good faith he won't befall that
For all that and all that their dignities and all that,
His pith of sense and pride of worth are higher rank than all that.

Then let us pray that come it may as come it will for all that
That sense and worth o'er all the earth shall be the goal for all that
For all that and all that; its coming yet for all that,
That man to man the whole world o'er shall brothers be for all that

Robert Burns(1759-96)

Thanks for that Boab. Wonderful stuff.


People are all fundamentally the same, no matter where in the world you may go.

We all breathe air, we all laugh and we all use the toilet.

So why do we still insist on creating divisions amongst ourselves based on points of philosophy, theology and mere geography?

Such conflicts are just a waste of life, potential and energy, and pointless to boot, imho.

[Busyman]

Thanks for that Boab. Wonderful stuff.


People are all fundamentally the same, no matter where in the world you may go.

We all breathe air, we all laugh and we all use the toilet.

So why do we still insist on creating divisions amongst ourselves based on points of philosophy, theology and mere geography?

Such conflicts are just a waste of life, potential and energy, and pointless to boot, imho.

Well if we had the same government and cultures then what you say would make sense.

That fact is everything isn't necessarily a division created for the purose of dividing. Some shit just boils down to clashes.

I might think British humor is not funny.
I might think Saddam Hussein treats his people like shit.
I might think your religion teaches evil things...

Such is life...

[Biggles]

.

America wants other countries to be like it as well.

This latter part I have never quite understood. Why would it matter?

As a Scot I feel a great sense of belonging - but I wouldn't push the bagpipes and kilt on others.

The sentiments expressed by Burns, however, stands good. A man is a man despite the perceived differences or airs and graces he may adopt. He was writing in the 1790s when slavery and serfdom were still common and his views were considered "radical" by some. Strangely, given the era, he was immediately popular in his home country despite his womanising and ridicule of the Kirk (perhaps because of them ).

This does not mean we all have to be the same though.

[Rat Faced]

- but I wouldn't push the bagpipes and kilt on others.

Especially if your the one buying them...




That wasnt a dig at Scots btw.. it was a dig at the price of them