Why National Pride is Kinda Silly

Published November 6, 2007

By Simon Hall

When does national pride become national arrogance? Pretty often when you think about it. The whole I’m better than you, look at my flag and muscles, they’re a lot better than your flag and muscles- mentality only serves to divide people up into ever increasing categories of pig-headedness. It creates contrived differences where no differences previously existed. Everyone ends up hating people they have never met because they don’t speak English or because they speak French (damn them to the fires of Hades).

Patriotism only serves to inflate egos and deflate our independence. The word is synonymous with Nationalism, which in itself is synonymous with Nation-Based-Bigotry. Follow the Red White and Blue over the precipice into the abyss of hive-mind, don’t ask questions, everything will be OK. But what is there to gain? Loyalty to a nation means you’re loyal to a hypothetical concept that exists only on paper and (admittedly) in the munitions of those who follow those pieces of paper.

Can I wear Patriotism when I’m cold and eat Loyalty when I’m hungry? Is there any true capitol/tangible gain to being United under whatever. In all honesty I’m not too fond of the way this country is heading (can you say Kleptocracy) and I’m not using the excuse, “I was born here” to go out and root root root for the home team. Where we are born and raised is essentially random; do you think you would have sung the Star-Spangled if you happened to be born in Japan or Fernando Poo (it’s a real place — check your atlas)?

Then you’ve got all these yahoos going on about “What the fore-fathers wanted for this country is Blankety Blank” Spare us. Unless you’re the personal reincarnation of Samuel Adams (BEER!) shut your yabber hole. You’re just dividing up loyalties (yes I know, but besides being an Anarchist I’m also a hypocrite) between those of us who are still living and those who are dead long enough to have their own monuments honoring them. The world changes, things move on. Do you really believe that those rich land owners, some 230 years ago had it down pat perfectly? That they made no mistakes and there is no area we can possibly improve upon? We are just as smart as any of our predecessors and Founding Fathers and have just as much potential to create the next great New World Order.

Personally I don’t see a big difference between taxation with or without representation, I’m still getting taxed.

You always hear, “Believe in the virtue of your country; follow your leaders.” If we are all equal then there is no one who is “superior” enough to make choices for the rest of us.

Authority not just merely corrupts, it draws in those who are most corruptible. We try to claim that we live in a Democracy except we are forced to have our voices translated back to us via an easily corruptable middleman.

There’s no better way to install a dictator than if the dictator were voted in by a 99% will of the masses. I don’t see Whoever has the biggest voice and most pitchforks wins all the marbles.

Have you ever even met a politician? The Democans and Republicrates are practically identical, you close your ears for a second and you’ll just see a bunch of rich, old, fat crackers who take themselves way too seriously. If a politician comes to your house I swear on the glory of meatball subs that you best hide the silverware. Sticky fingers.

I’ve never met America personally, never had dinner with him or gone out bowling or nothing. ‘Scuse me if I don’t trust an amorphous theoretical concept with some imaginary borders drawn on a map.

The concept of the Nation State in the grander scheme of human history was invented as a marketing gimmick to get the European peasantry to stop revolting against the monarchs all the time.
So, as of today, I officially renounce my U.S. citizenship though I will still carry a U.S. passport, take advantage of ALL public services while giving as little back as possible, and complain too often about how my rights are being impeded upon.

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