Can you ever be too patriotic?

Answer 1

Patriotic is good but rational is more improtant

Answer 2

Patriotic? No.

Nationalistic? Yes.

Answer 3

I would certainly say so. With Hitlers rise to power in 1933 he transformed the German peoples patriotism into outright nationalism. In modern terms consider the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nationalist movements may or may not claim that their nation is better than others. They may simply claim that the population of a given nation is better off when it is permitted to govern itself, which is the principle of self-determination. However, conflicts often result in ideological attacks upon the identity and legitimacy of the 'enemy'. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, both sides have claimed that the other is not a real nation and therefore has no right to a state. Are the Israeli's and Palestinians too patriotic, that is a discussion I would rather not get into, but I would have to say that indeed patriotism can get out of hand.

Answer 4

Yes, of course.

A person can be so deeply patriotic that they will blindly do what a leader might command them to do. It doesn't happen over night and such a false leader will slowly lull you into believing whatever they want you to. We are social creatures, we want to believe someone isn't lying to us *see resource below.

The line between patriotism and nationalism is sometimes cloudy for those who are not willing to ask themselves difficult questions about what they are representing. In a democracy the people can be swayed into believing almost anything is "morally" good to do to others if given the right stimulus (e.g. poverty, war, etc.) Authority can be abused. People who aren't mentally strong enough to decide for themselves willl find themselves part of a "mob". We now sometimes refer to these as "sheeple".

As was mentioned, Nazis (the national socialist workers party of Germany- this is the ugliest form of socialist totalitarianism- fascism) brought this to an artform with the use of false propaganda and placing the blame for their difficulties on the backs of someone, anyone else (i.e. Mentally ill, Jews, Catholics, gypsies, etc.) and turned their patriotic behavior into racial supremacy and genecidal holocaust. There is little freedom when patriotism makes you fear everyone else around who might be labeled "different" at any moment. Sound familiar?

Don't be fooled into thinking "it can't happen here" or "it won't happen again".

The sad truth is, it is happening as we speak and "they" are using the same tactics.

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." --Thomas Jefferson

Read about Benito Mussolini (the founder of fascism) and Hitler's Mein Kampf. These fascist's writings should be read in order to understand the dangerous difference between "patriot" and "nationalist".

Answer 5

By the proper definition of patriotism, no. However, how many people ever knew the true meaning of patriotism, let alone now many actually know it now?

Answer 6

Yes, when your patriotism evolves into blind Nationalism. Then you're TOO patriotic.

Answer 7

We Indians, follow our leaders, some of whom imported from Italy, When they, for their selfishness, are siding with the enemies of the nation, how could we, the ordinary citizens, can be patriotic.

Answer 8

Yes.

"My country, right or wrong," is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, "My mother, drunk or sober."

Answer 9

It depends on your definition of patriotic. I would say yes, you can if you mean that you think your government can do no wrong.

Answer 10

patriotism = cause of world war I

Answer 11

Oh yes.... for sure.. I mean, check out this wanker... It's the most puke inducing piece of patriotic crap I've ever witnessed in my entire life!!!