Is patriotism a good or a bad thing?

Patriotism is wanting what is best for your own country. If what is best is that foreign people go home, that's one stand. I personally think that more people is better. I am totally in favor of more people being in America, provided they are legal, and culturally adaptable. The problem comes when people come here illegally and violate our laws, and they come here demanding we change our culture to accommodate them.

Personally I don't see myself as patriotic, in fact at times I feel quite ashamed about my country especially when it comes to football, I think the UK has got a bad name for football hooliganism, and we are all tarred with the same brush. As to foreigners taking our jobs, well I'd much rather have Polish Builders than Brit builders if I needed anything done. At the gym I go to, the workers are the Polish ones and they are polite, hardworking and do a good job, whereas some of the English are lazy, arrogant and downright rude. I have no time for the Royal family at all, I am certainly NOT a loyalist. It wouldn't bother me if we didn't have a monarchy, it's all pomp and circumstance. How could you be patriotic when the country's run by such a feeble, hopeless government who can't even get us out of this double dip recession. I admire countries like Sweden, Norway, Australia, New Zealand. Sadly I don't hold up the UK in the same estimation, we lost the Great out of Britain yonks ago.

I think it's a good thing when it has to do with pride for one's country, but a bad one when it resorts to violence and negative feelings towards foreigners. I am patriotic for the country where I was born (Peru), but also for the Dominican Rep., where I lived for 12 happy years, but also for Australia, where I studied and became who I am today. I also lived in Austria for 19 years, but I don't feel patriotic for that country, even though it was there that my two children were educated and it was there that my husband was born. I don't feel patriotic, as I always felt like a foreigner and I did not agree with the way foreigners were deported, even if they were families or even young children.

I enlisted in the US Army for my own personal reasons: not solely to serve my country. I still love my country very much, but I do not agree with everything that happens here. I believe in freedom, for EVERYONE. I think my country can do better. I think my country should be more like other countries. But regardless, it is still my country, and I need to be a part of the solution, and not the problem. I love to travel, and I would love to have property in other countries and islands one day, but I would never want to give up my US citizenship. (Dual citizenship is still a possibility - MAYBE, but I will not become a citizen of a country if it means giving up my citizenship of this country.

Patriotism is good. You have to respect and be loyal to your country and to your countrymen. Always push for it to become better in all domains and support it in good and bad times However, when you stop looking at your country in a critical eye. when, You loose the ability to see the negative sides and start denying the mistakes your government is doing or the weaknesses inside your society. when you start looking at other nations and other cultures in a disrespectfull way then you crossed to fanatisme and that is dangerous because you will loose the ability to improve your country

I think patriotism is a good thing, its human nature I feel for people having pride in fellow countrymen doing well, winning medals and representing their country with pride and skill in their perspective sports, I know I do at each Olympics (go Team USA), but I think it has to be tempered with respect to all competitors, meaning just having good sportsmanship as a spectator and not being so patriotic that one is rude (with loud whistles or boos against an opponent when its not called for), its always a fine line I feel with showing pride in ones countryman and wanting them to do well, its another to be overzealous and just downright disrespectful.

Yes, I'm a patriotic Englishman. England's the country of my birth, although my parents were not English-born, my dad having been born in Australia, and my mother in Canada of Scottish/Northern Irish descent. So while I love England, I also love Scotland, Canada, Australia; but in terms of my patriotism, England is my top choice. Yet I don't just love England...for example, as a Francophile, I honour and respect a French person's patriotism, indeed every person's patriotism Patriotism for me does not, should never involve hostility towards other nations or peoples. As a Christian, I believe, we are all created in God's image. So for me patriotism is something romantic, and cannot include a belief in the superiority of one country with respect to another. At its purest, I believe patriotism is a good thing; and should include a respect of other peoples right to love their country.

Why would patriotism be a bad thing? I love my country, I don't always like whom God put in the leadership roles but those roles are temporary so we must exercise some patience in that regard. I'm an American, born here and proud of it. One could look back on our history and grapple about how we got here but we should also look at the documents we hold as staples. The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, these are the acts of free men, despite what anybody says other countries hate us because we are free, plain and simple. Freedom does have a price, it was paid for and is still be paid for with sacrifice, blood and honor. To those who think this gives them free reign to want more than they deserve I say to you, find someplace else to live. We protect our own and take care of those who need it. We do not put a hand out with money in it, we just put a hand out when its needed.

Since President Obama was re-elected there have been people who have not shown very good patriotism! Like some of my friends and from other people I have seen on line. These people think that the USA is going to hell in a hand bag! All I hearing is that and so much other whining! It just isn't showing no patriotism,it is people don't want to except reality! So I say "If you don't like it here,move somewhere else! See if you liked it any better"! I know the USA has its problems but I still love this country! Always will!

I think patriotism is good enough to depend our country. Because this is only way to protect and contribute something good to our country. But if the country we serve didn't give us the opportunity to improve or uplift the life that we want. Better to find a country that really give important what patriotism is all about...

I love my country and would describe myself as patriotic but I'M not an extremist. I am happy for the UK to be multicultural and I support other countries. But I do love when England wins things I would always support England over anything else, if that makes sense but will always be happy for another country if they beat us at something as it shows they were the better team. Some people take being patriotic to the extreme and then become racist I don't like that.

Patriotism can be good. But even at sporting events it can get out of hand. Look at the la dodgers- giants mlb game a few years ago. A fan was beaten because of cheerinbg for the wrong team.

Yes of course, I am patriotic enough. I'd love to watched those competitions of my country to other country. And as one patriotism I would hand an identity of my country. Here in our country, we do patriotism by standing and pausing for a while when we see the raising of our flag and we put our right hand to our chest.It simply implies that we are respecting and adoring our heroes.

Well how patriotism could be bad? :) Every one must love his/her country from the bottom of your heart. it is said, "Mother who gave you the birth and the land where you were born valuable more than the heaven." so it is not bad. But patriotism should not be hurt other country's people to make happy your country? That's how imperialism works right? That's awful. I am against the imperialism.

I guess I can show my patriotism by buying things made in our own country, listening to our own songs, watching our own TV programs, movies and the like. When we still in elementary, our teachers taught us to be patriotic. However, some are still patronizing goods, music, movies, etc. from other countries. I guess it's up to us if we'll patronize our own or not. We have our freesom to choose and do what we want. Happy mylotting.

The question is: what is patriotism? I don't see cheering at your club that way, nor waving the flag of your (favorite) country that way. Personally I am not a patriot. I have no special feelings with the country I am born or live in. I also don't see myself as an European since the European, to my opinion, does not exist. All those countries/people are way too different to be labeled as just one "country". The feelings about foreigners taken away jobs you will find in every country by now, no matter where you are. I don't think the problem is here that there are foreigners but the problem is the governments are not taking care of their own people (those who live longer in the country, are born there etc) first. If you don't take care of your own people in the first place and take away their money, savings, security, force them to work longer/harder, and prefer foreigners instead, you should not be surprised they start hating. One can only give by heart if there is something to give.

patriotism is good but not to the extreme where you can't see anything else. life should be a balance and i think in this case also. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day ahead.

Yes I am. How? By honoring our flag, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and whether I like the President or not, I respect him and support him.