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Nationalism Is A Scam
How many people have died for countries which no longer exist? Millions? In their moment of death did they feel proud that they were dying for the unending glory of Carthage or Prussia or the Hungarian Empire? Is it better for a young American to die in Iraq for the U.S. Than to stay home and father children? Is it truly better to die for your country than to live for your family? And is your country really the best just because you happen to live there?
 OzzieMan  16 Jun 2008 00:33
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Yup, i agree. Loved ones come first because they are important, as long as i am with people i love, i don't care where i live, and it shouldn't matter.
 
 mariafu  03 Feb 2009 22:26
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Nationalism is, indeed, a scam, but it has proven to be a remarkably successful and resilient one. National identity is an artificial construct; no one is born with it, as it is not biologically ingrained. As such, people are inculcated at an early age with the belief that they belong to a distinct national group, with set characteristics, shared values and a unique past. There is nothing actually wrong with this, except when one's national identity goes a step further and the group starts to believe that their nation is superior to others.

Believing in this superiority and then being willing to wage war because of it is, indeed, a terrible scam. Had the individual nationalists who bought into this actually taken the time to explore cultures and peoples other than their own, they would surely have realized that there is nothing inferior about them, and they would have also gained a better appreciation of the world's diversity.

I would, however, point out that prior to the French Revolution, people in Europe did not fight in wars out of a sense of nationalism. Europeans had no real sense of national identity back then. Instead, they fought out of loyalty to their rulers.
 
 mackenzie  16 Jun 2008 06:33
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All soldiers say in heated battle they don't fight for their country....they fight for their close buddies they are fighting with. The real question is...why do they join the army to begin with?
 
 jimkerry  16 Jun 2008 06:17
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Have to agree, when the chips are down it will always be my family.
 
 frankieboy  16 Jun 2008 06:08
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Absolutely right. Families live longer then countries.
 
 the_atom  16 Jun 2008 02:21
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100 percent correct. Family first in my book. That's what lives forever. Not some country.
 
 moreno  16 Jun 2008 02:07
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The topic of Iraq carries a lot of baggage and draw get the discussion away from the issue. Although I really don't agree, I'll agree for the sake of argument that Iraq should never have happened, and we should get out as quick as possible. With that agreed upon, are you saying that IF there were a valid threat against your country, you would ignore it because your family is more important?
 
 Jared6000  16 Jun 2008 04:18
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 If I had to pick one over the other, of course I would pick my family. Wouldn't you?
by  OzzieMan
 16 Jun 2008 05:56
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