I think it is important to feel proud of where you come from and only natural but chants of "We're Number 1" really rile me. How can a country be the best? It can't. Every country has strengths and weaknesses and unless you point out the weaknesses how can a country improve? "Why of course the people don't want war. That is understood. But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger." Could of come straight out of the minds of George Bush or Tony Blair but no it was said by Hermann Goering at the Nuremberg trials. Anti-American ring any bells? In my opinion patriotism is mind control a small dose is normal but if your 100% patriotic your a blind sheep and a nation of blind sheep is always a dangerous thing.
Patriotism is defined as the love of one's country...how can patriotism be mind control if it determined by a personal feeling of love. People chanting and such are manifestations of pride and the vice that humans have to feel superior to anything they can. Seeing as your definition of patriotism is highly flawed, I will not respond to your own opinions on the topic of blind sheep and whatnot. It is important to note that the sentences you have quoted do not put the idea of patriotism in an unfavorable light, rather Hermann Goering is bringing to light the fact that people in the world today are so insecure of "terrorism" and other such nonsense that they can be easily manipulated by the government. Being patriotic is not bad. Not being patriotic is not bad. People thinking that it IS bad to not be patriotic is the problem that is being addressed in this quotation.
My point was in today's society to be unpatriotic in America makes you Anti-American they mean the same thing. So people are forced to be patriotic but patriotism is not questioning your government. Look at the people who were labelled anti-American Michael Moore, Rosie O Donnell, Madonna they all had views against the Bush administration and were labelled anti-American/unpatriotic because of it. To be patriotic in American society often means you do not say negative things against the government and put your trust in the president no matter what they are doing i.e. becoming blind sheep. In my opinion that is what patriotism has become. I doubt "Hermann Goering is bringing to light the fact that people in the world today are so insecure of "terrorism"" since he said it just after world war 2. "and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism" Anti-American...
Just because the term "terrorism" has been most popularly termed in the past decade doesn't mean it is something that wasn't prevalent throughout society before 2001. (Perhaps I should have clarified that I meant the quote applied to the world today in the same way that it applied 60 years ago). What people experienced during and after WWII was certainly terrorism, dictatorships were being founded upon fear. I agree that this is how society has decided to mangle the term "patriotism". It is unfortunate that people view the word in this way. People can be perfectly patriotic while denouncing a government that is in power. I again agree, although I suggest you stop watching FOX news. Maybe then your news sources won't label such people as "anti-american." Anyone that shows legitimate concern for their country has to be patriotic, pretty much by default. The people who decide to leave a country because they do not support the current administration are the ones who are not patriotic (especially in a Democracy where such individuals can create change much more easily).