Job Discussion Forums

Celeste · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2003 10:05 pm Post subject: To my colleagues from the USA...

Happy Independence Day, eh?

Hope you have a good one. Very Happy

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

Thanks. Happy Independence Day to you too.

bnix · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 645

Thanks.It is also Friday! TGIF!

Marcoregano · Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 872 Location: Hong Kong

Thanks for reminding me....my wife is American. We're off to Macau for the weekend, so a double celebration tonight.....! Make that a tequila, or should it be a bourbon and coke?

Shaman · Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Posts: 446 Location: Hammertown

A safe and happy Independence Day to all, both "abroad" and at home.

Smile

Shaman

johnslat · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2003 3:45 am Post subject: Patriotism

Dear Celeste,
Thanks for remembering. Love of country is a funny emotion. We're born in a place without getting a choice in the matter and our land of birth may have many problems, faults and/or bad leadership. But I suspect that someone born even in h e l l would miss it if he/she ever left.
Being proud you're a certain nationality is, rationally speaking, silly. And yet almost all of us take pride in our homelands. I'm no exception to that. But the patriotism I like to see is the kind that doesn't say - " My country, right or wrong ". Nope, I prefer the following:

From GK Nelson's Civics 101

Many in today's society, instructed by tradition and nationalism rather than a critical understanding of the Constitution, believe supporting their elected officials in any and all their actions is, in fact, patriotism.

Excerpts from Mark Twain's Weapons of Satire: Anti-Imperialist Writings on the Philippine-American War

Monarchical and Republican Patriotism:

There are two kinds of patriotism -- monarchical patriotism and republican patriotism. In the one case the government and the king may rightfully furnish you their notions of patriotism; in the other, neither the government nor the entire nation is privileged to dictate to any individual what the form of his patriotism shall be.

We have thrown away the most valuable asset we had:-- the individual's right to oppose both flag and country when he (just he, by himself) believed them to be in the wrong. We have thrown it away; and with it all that was really respectable about that grotesque and laughable word, Patriotism.

- Mark Twain

True Patriotism at the Children's Theater

The true citizenship is to protect the flag from dishonor -- to make it the emblem of a nation that is known to all nations as true and honest and honorable. And we should forever forget that old phrase: My country, right or wrong.

- Mark Twain

So I'm a patriot who opposes the so-called " Patriot Act ", one who thinks that, if we want to Keep the USA Beautiful, we need to vote out Bush and Cheney, and make Rumsfeld, Ashcroft and Norton, in particular, start searching the " Help Wanted " pages.
Regards,
John