What is patriotism?

What is patriotism?
Mar 26, 2009 01:25
SUNNYDREAM Points: Join Date: Jun 11, 2007 Status: offline	Wu Han University is famed for its beautiful cherry blossoms. Every year, many people come there to enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms. A girl and her mother went to appreciate wonderful cherry blossoms at Wuhan University on March 21 but they were driven away. Some students saw the girl and her mother in kimono and took them as Japanese so they drove them out of their university. Some people applaused for these students. They think that these students did a right thing and they have good consciousness of patriotism. Do you think it is patriotism? How do you understand patriotism?

Mar 26, 2009 01:25

SUNNYDREAM
Points:
Join Date: Jun 11, 2007
Status: offline

Wu Han University is famed for its beautiful cherry blossoms. Every year, many people come there to enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms. A girl and her mother went to appreciate wonderful cherry blossoms at Wuhan University on March 21 but they were driven away. Some students saw the girl and her mother in kimono and took them as Japanese so they drove them out of their university.

Some people applaused for these students. They think that these students did a right thing and they have good consciousness of patriotism.

Do you think it is patriotism? How do you understand patriotism?

Mar 26, 2009 06:07

GAFFER
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Join Date: May 22, 2008
Status: Offline

Patriotism is defined as love of and/or devotion to one's country. In its extreme it can also be defined as, or used as an excuse for racism. People have long memories and there were some very serious conflicts between Japan and China in the past. Stories of the bad things that happened are passed on through generations so although the students themselves probably had no excuse to act the way they did, they will be aware of historical events.

Mar 26, 2009 06:08	#2
SASHA Points: Join Date: Mar 31, 2004 Status: Offline	Pushing and showing force to two girls... wouldn't call that 'patriotism'.

Mar 26, 2009 10:28	#3
WANHU Points: Join Date: Feb 20, 2007 Status: Offline	To show the love to our country that we are willing to fight and die for, for a good cause and not the acts of gangsterism with hatred and enmity. Wan

Mar 26, 2009 21:04	#4
WCTMAN Points: Join Date: Dec 17, 2005 Status: Offline	Patriotism is the thought that your country is the greatest in the world simply because you were born there.

Mar 26, 2009 23:26

SHESGOTTOBE
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Join Date: Nov 23, 2007
Status: Offline

What they did is not patriotism. It's called being mean and cruel. Where is patriotism in shooing away two people enjoying some flowers???

Think of it this way. See it as one of the scenes in one of those drama that are very popular in Asia. Don't look at those two women/girls as Japanese but just another human beings trying to enjoy the cherry blossoms. Then some students came up and shooed them away just because they are different from them. Would you like what they did? Would that be acting civilized?

Mar 27, 2009 01:10	#6
DODGER Points: Join Date: Jul 15, 2007 Status: Offline	Samuel Johnson believed that patriotism was the last refuge of the scoundrel.. Oscar Wilde believed it to be the virtue of the vicious. That about sums it up for me. Dodger.

Mar 27, 2009 05:04

GUESTHAN

Patriotism

Breathes there the man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
"This is my own, my native land!"
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burn'd
As home his footsteps he hath turn'd
From wandering on a foreign strand?
If such there breathe, go, mark him well;
For him no Minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonour'd, and unsung.

-- Sir Walter Scott

Mar 27, 2009 22:43	#8
LEMONCACTUS Points: Join Date: Dec 8, 2005 Status: Offline	What the students did, at the very least, showed ignorance and prejudice, at the most could be construed as racism. If patriotism, as the love for one's nation, can be twisted into an ugly alliance with jingoism, and used as an excuse for inexcusable behaviour against other human beings... then I guess you could call it patriotism. Hardly cause for applause, whatever name you give it.

Mar 28, 2009 12:17	#9
MARRIE Points: Join Date: Jan 7, 2008 Status: Offline	There is a difference between patriotism and nationalism. The latter is more like racialism and is always utilized for dark purpose under the name of patriotism.
MARRIE Points: Join Date: Jan 7, 2008 Status: Offline	Last edited by MARRIE: Mar 28, 2009 12:29

Mar 29, 2009 16:19	#10
YINDUFFY Points: Join Date: Aug 8, 2007 Status: Offline	A Chinese patriot would have introduced himself to the two women and promoted China by being polite and assisting visitors. If the women looked like foreigners, they should have been treated as guests. To assign blame for the actions of Japanese soldiers 64 years ago on these two was unforgivable.
YINDUFFY Points: Join Date: Aug 8, 2007 Status: Offline	Last edited by YINDUFFY: Mar 30, 2009 05:15

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