Patriotism = Nationalism?

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Did you know that children in many communist countries have been made to sing songs, often daily, about how great communism is? Indoctrinated from birth, like mafia children to violence and drug-lords' children to the drug trade, these children grow up truly believing that communism and whatever country they come from are the best system and country in the world. Irrational, culturally-ingrained nationalism is pretty scary, eh?

That reminds me of another country, where children, from the age of 5 or so, are made every day to stare at the national symbol, promise to always be loyal to the country, invoke the superiority of god, and state belief that their country will never disband and never allow injustice to be visited upon its citizens. The United States of America, I think it's called... It's all just irrational, culturally-ingrained nationalism...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriotism

So my suggestion? Let's make a world-wide pledge of allegiance instead! I pledge allegiance to the Earth and all the people in it, one world, under the sky, with dreams for all.

Comments

Colin said…
You have the constitutionally granted, court defended right to not say the pledge in this country. Yes, even in elementary school.
December 4, 2009 at 9:08 PM
Adina. said…
you might have the right, but there is always peer pressur eot make sure you don't feel very inclined to use it....
July 3, 2010 at 7:06 PM
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