What is nationalism? Can there be good nationalism?

[Gangerolf]

It's not that big a differenfce I guess. But patriotism doesn't have as many negative connotations as nationalism, at least in my mind. Patriotism (love to one's country) has never hurt anyone.
I don't see nationalism as necessarily a bad thing either. It's mostly for the best.
But like Che said: "Good nationalism is the kind that helps you overthrow foreign oppressors. Bad nationalism is the kind that makes you into a foreign oppressor."

[Solly]

So you're just defining patriotism as good nationalism.

Then from this definition conclude "Of course there can be good nationalism. It's called patriotism."

Seems a bit circular to me...

What Che said was so vague it was hardly worth responding to. It also opens up two more questions to which he presented no argument. What is oppression, and what is foreign?

[DAVOUT]

I think that loyalty is, at least for me, the most important content of patriotism, the other being love (of the land, the people, etc).

But one must not be slave of an accepted loyalty; *wright or wrong, my country* is not acceptable, it would suppose a blind loyalty, which is morally worthless.

In other word, patriotism is a feeling, and nationalism a political principle.