But the thing I don't understand is people constantly say that they're fighting for our freedom when we've had our freedom for over 200 years already.

THIS^∞

I'm actually glad and relieved to see that there are Americans who question these things. :wacky:

To not question things in life is to be ignorant. :smug: :P

 

 

I think that there's too much pride. To be honest I never understood nationalism or patriotism to be honest. It is something that is just there and you don't earn. I can understand accomplishing something great, and being proud. But being proud of being born in a country doesn't make sense to me.

 

I don't understand it either.

 

I moved away from my country as soon as I finished school because I wasn't happy there. People keep asking me if I miss 'home' and they sometimes even try to convince me that it must be difficult to leave your country. I know that most people would feel this way but I really don't and it annoys me when people try to convince me when I told them that I don't miss the place. It's like they expect you to love a country simply because you were born there. I really don't get it.

Certain people will enjoy certain countries. Not necessarily the ones they were born in. It would be a little scary if everybody loved where they were born, unless we had evolved into some form of utopia (which we clearly haven't), ad I'd presume it was down to brainwashing.

Is it wrong that I felt more "at home" in England (even in the short amount of time that I was there) than I do here? :uhoh:

 

my ancestors came here from England on a boat in the 1600s so maybe that's why

Is it wrong that I felt more "at home" in England (even in the short amount of time that I was there) than I do here? :uhoh:

 

my ancestors came here from England on a boat in the 1600s so maybe that's why

 

Nope. Many English people feel more at home in America.

ha ha what

I'm saying it's not weird to feel more at home in another country. I know a few people in this country who feel more at home in America, and there's no ancestral link with them, either.

Is it wrong that I felt more "at home" in England (even in the short amount of time that I was there) than I do here? :uhoh:

 

Same here!

Go to where you want to go.

Just don't apply for any jobs I apply for. There's already hundreds going for them :p

I can't afford it! :cry:

 

I've never really understood patriotism to be honest. I love living here, but I think it's a bit egocentric to brag or say how much or better we think we are. The funny thing is that compared to the rest of the world we lack in so many important categories such as education and innovation.

 

this is exactly what i'm talking about!

 

i absolute love living in this country. that's vindicated by what i see on news every day. people risking their lives just to have a chance of living here. but in no way do i think that australia is better than any country than the rest. or that its people are special or unique in any way.

 

there's a fine line between patriotism and elitism. the latter seems to be far too prevalent in my community. one half of politics here seems to think that our land is too precious to allow in any person who hasn't been heavily processed and screened by the UN or allow in more than our miniscule quota.

Your country certainly shapes who you are. The culture, the arts, the language, the education system, the law, the level of censorship, the employment opportunities, the climate, the humour, the social norms. My friends and family and many of the people who have influenced me have done so with an obvious influence of similar aspects I have mentioned above that have influenced me, which have also influenced them, though perhaps in a different way. It's impossible not to be at least a little defined by your country, even if you wish it wasn't the case. We'd all be different to some extent if we lived somewhere else. Therefore I think everyone should feel some kind of connection to where they live, even if they don't enjoy it they can acknowledge that it has shaped them in some way. And you can be proud of that too, proud of who you are and of your national identity. But it would be naive to believe that other people don't share this same feeling. Therefore, you aren't any better, of course.

 

But this does not have to lead to blind loyalty. You are part of the country so you can attempt to make the changes you want to make it an even better place. If you don't think it can match your ambition, or you simply disagree with certain things about it and don't believe they will change, then you should have the right to move to another country without the need of feeling guilty. You should also not have to feel guilty about taking space within your new chosen country if you have arrived there legally.

 

We are all humans, we are all on the earth, things shouldn't be so rigid. That in itself doesn't seem natural.

Your country certainly shapes who you are. The culture, the arts, the language, the education system, the law, the level of censorship, the employment opportunities, the climate, the social norms. We'd all be different to some extent if we lived somewhere else. Therefore I think everyone should feel some kind of connection to where they live, even if they don't enjoy it they can acknowledge that it has shaped them in some way. And you can be proud of that too, proud of who you are and of your national identity. But it would be naive to believe that other people don't share this same feeling. Therefore, you aren't any better, of course.

 

But this does not have to lead to blind loyalty. You are part of the country so you can attempt to make the changes you want to make it an even better place. If you don't think it can match your ambition, or you simply disagree with certain things about it and don't believe they will change, then you should have the right to move to another country without the need of feeling guilty. You should also not have to feel guilty about taking space within your new chosen country if you have arrived there legally.

 

We are all humans, we are all on the earth, things shouldn't be so rigid. That in itself doesn't seem natural.

 

 

I couldn't agree more. You put it so well, Greg!

Thanks Nancy :hug:

I do appreciate such replies.

And I stuck in a minor edit, adding humour to the list, and also the fact that my friends and family who have influenced me greatly were themselves influenced by this country, although quite possibly in a different way, and this makes it inescapable not to have been influenced to an extent by the country in which I live.

 

Sorry to keep going on haha.

i think it's really the us v them attitude that puts me off. we're so great we're so nice and i don't want them to come here and infect us with their imperfections. national pride has been at higher than normal after the series of natural disasters and that has clashed with higher numbers of illegal immigrants and created the environment that i am starting to detest. thankfully a majority still has a heart and common sense and isnt like Greg said above being lead to blind loyalty.

I might blog about this, I find it quite interesting and I wish more people looked at things like many of the posters in this thread do. I honestly feel it would be a better place.

^you should.

 

 

I think overall the biggest problem about us (talking about the human race, not individual members on this board) is that we are too quick to judge others. We automatically look at specific characteristics such as where you come from, your race, your gender, your sexual orientation, how you dress, how you act, what you religion or morals believe in, and automatically make an assumption as to what that person is like. And we make a judgement if we'll like a person or not, without even taking the chance to talk to the person.

 

edit: and even if you don't like the person or disagree with them, then fine. But there's no need to look down upon someone if they're different, in fact they're just doing the exact same thing about you.

^you should.

 

 

I think overall the biggest problem about us (talking about the human race, not individual members on this board) is that we are too quick to judge others. We automatically look at specific characteristics such as where you come from, your race, your gender, your sexual orientation, how you dress, how you act, what you religion or morals believe in, and automatically make an assumption as to what that person is like. And we make a judgement if we'll like a person or not, without even taking the chance to talk to the person.

 

edit: and even if you don't like the person or disagree with them, then fine. But there's no need to look down upon someone if they're different, in fact they're just doing the exact same thing about you.

 

Indeed, which is similar to what was in the perceptions thread. Egotism and bias etc.

yeah. I mean at least I can say I'm happy that I live in the time I do now and am happy to see a progression of sorts. I mean the idea of having an African American president, and the possibility of a Woman as president too is pretty great. Also the various equal rights movements throughout the countries over the years and the overall treatment of each other, things have clearly gotten better (especially when I talk to my parents when they were growing up). I still think though that a lot of people are used to a rigid way of life and thinking (especially older generations), which makes it more difficult to break away. It should be interesting to see what things will be like when our generation has a stronger foot in world views because at least from my perspective I feel each generation seems to be getting more open minded.

 

 

edit: arg I wish I could discuss this more, but I have to head out to my internship.

I mean the idea of having an African American president,

I've been tempted for awhile to make a thread about my annoyance of the term "African American". I understand it's meant to be "politically correct" terminology, but there's something about it that irks me. For example, I work with a guy that came from South Africa (interesting accent too... if you've seen District 9 it's exactly like that). Technically he's an African American. But do you think he's "allowed" to use that term when referring to himself? Of course not. It's almost like he has to deny his nationality, which is a shame.

I might blog about this, I find it quite interesting and I wish more people looked at things like many of the posters in this thread do. I honestly feel it would be a better place.

 

most of us still find boobs more interesting.

^ that's sig-worthy