Patriotism

This week’s National celebrations (US and Canada) and the Patriotism theme on the Mono Monday Challenge got me thinking.  Then, a blip by You Can Call Me Al, sparked a debate with my husband about the subject…


My take was that Patriotism is a variation on the theme of Nationalism and ultimately Jingoism.  A benign and friendly version of it, but ultimately, grounded on the same principles. My husband disagreed.  To him, Patriotism is just “love of one’s Country” and therefore exempt of all the bad traits associated with the other two.  The problem is that Nationalists and Jingoists often hide behind Patriotism to justify their bigotry, perverting its values. 


I suppose my problem is that I do not feel allegiance to just one Country.  I was born in Catalonia , and although it is part of Spain, it has its unique culture and language.  Then, moved to the UK where I have now spent more years of my life that I ever did in Spain. My husband comes from Scotland where he was born from Southafrican parents who left their Country in disagreement with Apartheid. If I had to wrap myself around a flag, I have no idea which one it would be.  


I don’t understand Nationalism.  I don’t understand this populist fear of immigrants.  Apart from one branch of my family that can be traced to the same town since the middle ages, all of the other have been moving from one place to another looking for a better life, the same way our ancestors have always done.  After all, the whole planet (apart from Africa) is populated by descendants of a very small number of humans that left Africa a long time ago.