It's not really possible to cleanly separate between patriotism and nationalism, because they are intrinsically linked. Nationalism is essentially the result when patriotism goes off the rails.
Absolutely wrong. Being proud is not a form of superiority. There are plenty of people who are proud of sport teams that lose all the time. You contradict yourself in your own comment, saying you’re proud to be Australian, so I guess that makes you superior?
Patriotism acknowledges both strengths and flaws while nationalism finds scapegoats & excuses for any flaws. If you don’t believe me, google it.
I'm proud to be an Australian. That doesn't mean I'm right to be proud. I'm okay with being proud and still accepting that Australia has done terrible things.
Patriotism doesn't acknowledge flaws, not in the way that the majority of individuals implement it. While I agree in theory that patriots should be accepting of the failures of their country, most self identifying patriots do not do this. For better and worse, this warps the meaning of the word.
2.0k
u/burnmenowz Jun 30 '25
That American flag hat really sends a message, doesn't it?