Patriotism is but religion
Useful delusion, mind you
If it was completely useless — we would have evolved it away
Question is — how useful?
Or rather — is it still the most USEFUL mental model to hold, around those matters?
It’s probably not, is it
Because your nation is probably not THE superior nation,
It probably is NOT the MORALLY SUPREME nation
…it’s but a matter of basic numbers,
There are many nations in this world
And each nation is not lacking in patriots
Except only one of those nations can, at the time, hypothetically, be the MORALLY superior one
The one whose values are worth dying for and killing for — because promulgation of those values is nvertheless better for humanity, the best hope for humanity
Only one such ultimately superior nation,
What’s the chance you belong to it?
Ok but what if your nation is not THE “best” nation… but is notwithstanding also most commendable?
What if you want MORE of those values in the world, not less?
Should you not be proud of those values and virtues?
Should you not promote them and defend them?
Yes you should
But
NOT because you were born here
But because you recognise the value of those beliefs
And that recognition could as well have led you to decide that some other nation’s values are perhaps the better choice for the title of MORAL SUPERIORITY
More worth dying for
But
how many such “patriots” do you know?
How many such patriots — who have looked at the world, and decided which way of organising society and living strikes them as the best, and worth protecting?
Not many, right?
Which would suggest that patriotism, on average, makes you espouse and defend and fight for LESS than ideal set of values and beliefs,
likewise religion
In which case, again, we must only ask — is there a chance of CHOOSING a better model, a better meme?
And indeed, there is,
You really can today:
-educate yourself about the world, and OBJECTIVELY
-you can communicate with anyone, all across the world
-you can MOVE, to so many places in this world
(and chances are there where you can move — is where there is superior way of living = open society)
-can work with people from all across the world
-and you YOURSELF CAN work from many places in the world… the VALUE creation process has been becoming more and more abstract… supra-material
So no,
the absence of PATRIOTISM meme may actually NOT hurt you,
Maybe you NOT dying for your fucking village is no longer all that important
Maybe it’s more important if you’ve the capacity to CHOOSE your own values
Now,
to make it clear,
the opposite is NOT the solution,
the MEME of HATING the WEST (“Western values”, open society, liberal democracy) is even more pernicious and toxic
it is just as mindless,
but accidentally — it is even less accurate,
a patriot, by chance, may sometimes be born in the BEST society, best culture, best system in the world
but WESTERNER hating the west is by definition a deluded fashionable fool
West, as a whole, is of course the best way of organising society
It has its flaws — but the point is that every other system, including those preceding it — have all of its flaws AND more
Therefore negation of the west is ALWAYS wrong — because west is NEVER inferior to NON-west,
It is only inferior compared to what it can YET become (or perhaps once was)
Furthermore,
Not all patriotism is created equal
COMMUNITY is an intangible value that is worth defending
The community can still absorb superior values
But it is made worse by splintering, disintegration, losing it’s identity completely
Community is ALREADY a functioning entity
If something functions — why disassemble it, and destroy it’s function?
Only if it can no longer be improved otherwise
A community can prevail, and maintain its unique signature — while evolving, and absorbing superior values
Destroying it would be foolish
NOT protecting it likely would be foolish too
Maybe, maybe it’s worth dying for
But of course those are exceptions,
And likely whoever wants to take away your homeland, destroy your values — is himself doing it in the name of his glorious country, glorious land, glorious tribe, glorious values
And it is thus why we would be today better off without the MEME of PATRIOTISM
And instead focused on COOPERATION
Within our community
With our neighbours
And with the world as a whole
…INDEED,
Patriotism is but religion,
And like religion — is ultimately gamed by OPPORTUNISTS
It thus becomes devolved from mere superiority delusion,
to an instrument of mass manipulation
The mediocrity devoid of achievements and values receives the cheap substitute, the venerable admission to the single club he’s qualified for — the club of having been born (on this land),
Beguile him with delusions of grandeur,
and you may yet get his vote
Patriotism is a dangerous meme,
if we want to do better as the world,
AND as individuals