Are you a patriot?

Post by **Hound** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 2:02 am

Hopefully this will get some interesting responses given the multi-national membership this board enjoys.

What does it mean to you to be a patriot? What is it you love about your country? Do you even care which country you live in? Is there a country you would prefer to live in besides the one you currently reside within? Does patriotism even matter to you?

Personally, patriotism isn't all that much of a concern to me, while the US isn't the worst place to live it doesn't provide me with freedoms that are unique to only the US. I love to see different places and travel and am not disagreeable to taking up residence in a different country if I found it to be a nice place to live. There are ideals that the US is meant to represent that I hold dear but as they aren't always upheld in reality I find myself sometimes disenfrachised. Enough about me though, how about you?

Roy Fokker · Post by **Roy Fokker** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 2:17 am

There is no questioning my patriotisum.

Post by **Hound** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 2:30 am

I question your patriotism.

As great as it was that you responded, I was hoping for explainations as to what it meant to be a patriot...

Roy Fokker · Post by **Roy Fokker** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 2:34 am

Well I think of it this way. A patriot stands by the people of his nation and protects them in some way.

Post by **Denyer** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 2:38 am

I care about most people I know, and a few ideologies... not about abstract populations or physical geography...

I rather like the ideals of the US constitution, although it's a shame most of it has been cast aside in recent decades.

Ultimate Weapon · Post by **Ultimate Weapon** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 3:07 am

My country right or wrong.

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 3:49 am

Having not been to other countries, I can't really compare Australia to anywhere else yet. Despite that, I think I would care where I live because if I'm not living in Melbourne, then it better be somewhere really good because I swear, this place has everything, especially for the gals, the shopping here is phenominal lol. It's also the unique things that make it good too, such as the festivities, the lingo and even trams, which might be better known to people in the US as a railcar. San Fransisco is the only place they can be found in the US right? There's a good reason why Australia has 4 cities out of the top 15 that have been voted the most livable in the world. This place rules. So yeah, I guesse you could say being a patriot is starting to mean something to me. lol

Plasmodium · Post by **Plasmodium** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 4:12 am

Hm. I could care less that I live in Canada, as far as Im concerned, there are assholes everywhere, they piss me off the most, so it doesnt matter what country im in really, there are assholes everywhere who need to die.

Dinobot · Post by **Dinobot** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 4:16 am

What is it you love about your country?

Lets see... maybe the racism and sectarianism? Maybe the bombings? Maybe the division within the community? Maybe the drug run communites and the fear struck into communities by the I.R.A., L.V.F., U.V.F. and other paramilitary "armies"? Or maybe just the awful weather?

King Fargo · Post by **King Fargo** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 4:33 am

I would have to say I love Australia, only coz we have less things wrong than anywhere else (besides the fact that we don't have Armada released yet).

Look at it, we have Vegemite, not much of a work ethic and a nationwide obsession with alcohol.

Besides, we have oval roundabouts (thanx Wodonga and Victorian road planning), and the fact that Sydney thinks that New South Wales stops at Liverpool and Australia stops at Penrith (use an atlas, people).

Nah, seriously I love my country, just not Steve Irwin (prepares self for the mob of people who think "crikey" is our country's motto)

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 4:40 am

Originally posted by King Fargo
besides the fact that we don't have Armada released yet

Actually, go to the news/rumours section and you'll see my post about the toys being found. I also made the front page of transfandom.com

CloudStrifer · Post by **CloudStrifer** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 4:45 am

Although I live in Canada, I would defend Pakistan, where I am from. I woul dalso Defend Turkmenistan/Turkey cause thats where my orgins come from...What do you know? I might recreate the Ottoman or Mughal empire again.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 4:59 am

I use to be Pro-American everything when I was younger, but as I got older I kind...well... stopped. I guess it all started with a political class in the 7th grade that got me thinking about inequalities in society.

Roy Fokker · Post by **Roy Fokker** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 5:11 am

Originally posted by Jim
I use to be Pro-American everything when I was younger, but as I got older I kind...well... stopped. I guess it all started with a political class in the 7th grade that got me thinking about inequalities in society.

Yeah there are no real equal rights in this country.

What exactly turned you off the most?

Strafe · Post by **Strafe** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 6:00 am

Originally posted by Roy Fokker
What exactly turned you off the most?

People who equate patriotism with:

1)Supporting your country whether it's right or wrong

2)Using Patriotism as an excuse to quell opposition

3)Using Patriotism as an excuse to go bomb more brown colored people

4)Using Patriotism as an excuse to erode civil liberties.

True Patriots would realize that something like the Patriot act is antithetical to the constitution...

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 6:02 am

Originally posted by Strafe
People who equate patriotism with:
1)Supporting your country whether it's right or wrong

I always thought that was nationalism

:rolleyes:

Roy Fokker · Post by **Roy Fokker** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 6:35 am

Originally posted by Strafe

3)Using Patriotism as an excuse to go bomb more brown colored people

4)Using Patriotism as an excuse to erode civil liberties.

Heh George Carlin gave me a few good laughs about how America likes to attack brown people. What amused me was it was pretty close to the truth.

I don't think Patriotism has anything to with the lose of civil liberties. You should listen to George Carlin sometime. He likes to talk about how "white" people are afraid and need the "illusion" of safety in this country.

Post by **Warcry** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 7:43 am

Am I a patriot? No. In fact, my disloyalty to and contempt for Canada's current government stands as a matter of public record. I would gladly overthrow them, if given the chance.

Roy Fokker · Post by **Roy Fokker** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 8:00 am

What's wrong with Canada?

Post by **Warcry** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 8:17 am

Originally posted by Roy Fokker
What's wrong with Canada?

Gross incompetance and corruption.
Read up on gun control in Canada for an example of the former. For an example of the latter, just look for anything writen about our government in the last six months...And since every political party that gets into power claims they will fix problems, then they just do the exact same ****ing thing! Nothing ever gets done. Unless it happens in our Prime Minister's hometown. Or involves a payoff to political buddies of cabinet members. Our public health care system is falling apart due to a lack of federal funding. Our military is a joke. Our road system is crumbling. Our Aboriginal groups are groverned by autocratic, backwards, racist rules designed to assimilate them into "proper Canadian culture." Terrorists have free reign. We have the highest airport security taxes in the Western world, but yet we have the worst airport security. Our dollar is worth sh*t. Gun control has cost over one BILLION dollars so far, and it hasn't even come into effect yet!
I could probably go on, but that's what comes to mind immediately.