Patriots, Please Identify Yourselves.

[SlowwHand]

Yes, sir. I will.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'm a patriot... and Spiffor is right, 'supporting its authority' means that you support the governmental structure, not any specific administration. Even under the Clinton administration, I could say I supported my country's authority.

[Boris Godunov]

Of course I'm a patriot, which is exactly why I oppose the actions of the current administration.

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I'm a patriot... and Spiffor is right, 'supporting its authority' means that you support the governmental structure, not any specific administration. Even under the Clinton administration, I could say I supported my country's authority.

True.
One should know, not just hope, that the Leaders have information not always shared immediately, due to security concerns.

No different than a job.
The Boss says we do something, we do it.
He/She doesn't have the time always to explain right then, "WHY".
You don't like that atmosphere, you can go to another country. I mean, job.

[Gatekeeper]

I, too, am a patriot. As others have pointed out, patriotism is much, much more than necessarily supporting the actions of a particular administration.

Patriotism is voting. Patriotism is taking part in your community. Patriotism is keeping well-informed of local, state, national and international events. Patriotism is achieving a good education. Patriotism is all of those things and so much more.

Gatekeeper

[Nubclear]

I'm a patriot for all three countries:

India, Russia, and America.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
No different than a job.
The Boss says we do something, we do it.
He/She doesn't have the time always to explain right then, "WHY".
You don't like that atmosphere, you can go to another country. I mean, job.

This has nothing to do with patriotism. If you love your job, but hate this atmosphere, you could try to change this abusive leadership (by changing the leader or forcing him to change his attitude), in order to continue loving this job.

[SlowwHand]

And this is different than voting to change things, how?

[Spiffor]

Sloww :
This is no different. You seemed to think the only answer to a painful climate was to leave.

[BeBMan]

Re: Patriots, Please Identify Yourselves.

Originally posted by SlowwHand

: one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests

...but not at all costs. It depends a lot how the authority is acting, what those interests are etc, etc. For instance, I think one could say that Iraqis who didn´t fight for Saddam were patriotic, despite they acted against the authority (because not supporting the authority in this case was better for the country).

[Shi Huangdi]

I guess I could fit under the definition Sloww provided.

[yavoon]

yah the support ur troops propaganda thrown at the anti war protestors by the "patriots" is a lil disconcerting. amazingly it worked so well that every single anti war statement has to be prefaced now by "but I support the troops."

tho I must confess some of the anti war protestors are entirely disconcerting.

[Starchild]

Patriot? Sloww baby, self-identification is one of the most confusing and long thought out question I've ever had to ask myself. You don't have any idea how tricky the question of "What am I" is, forget this patriot stuff.

[Spiffor]

I don't fit in Sloww's definition though. As I said in my first post of this thread, I love my country, accept its authority, and support its values.
I do not support my country's interests over everything else. I would completely disagree with an imperialistic policy even if it was good for France's interests.

BTW, if I am a "patriot" despite not supporting my countries' interest in any circumstances, I'm also a European patriot, because I love Europe, I would accept EU's authority on me, and I support EU's values.

[chequita guevara]

Many people in the US who think they are patriots are among the most anti-American people I've ever known. They care nothing for the spirit of America, only the form. Rather than protect what is fundimental and special about our country, they decry difference and demand obedience. If these are patriots, I am a traitor and proud of it.

I pledge alleigance to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, not the government or some stupid flag.