Patriotism part 2

I've decided to blog more as an expression of my creative outlet. I do write frequently and e-mail and debate with my friends.

The part 2 of this post is thanks to a debate I had with a friend of mine Rohit Lal which originally began as a debate between the type of capitalism (actually more socialism fot the rich) being practiced in the US.

So when someone tells me that they are patriotic or questions someone else's patriotism, my spider sense starts to tingle.

By standard definitions I'm not patriotic at all! I like it this way. I feel I'm a citizen of the world. I look Brazilian, Israeli so I can pass off as nationals in these countries.

I'll go and live in any country or take the citizenship (as I took US citizenship) if I feel it is advantageous if it is in my self interest. Period. That simple.

I feel all of us consciously or unconciously take decisions in their self interest i.e after weighing the pros and cons (by whatever factors they have in their mind) a cost benefit analysis if their decision makes them happier. I digress.


Re. Rohit's statement that he is proud of India because that is where his parents live, grandparents came from ...

I find it hard to fathom. He owes nothing to India . Whatever he or I have achived is INSPITE the govt of India and not because of it!

It is an accident of birth that he or I was born in India. I wonder if he'd have the same sentiment had he be born in CAR (Central African Republic)

People who are "patriotic" remind me of a dialogue from an Dilip Kumar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilip_Kumar) movie I think Vidhaata. He tells this in front of the villain played by Amrish Puri

"Tum kamine jaade ho ya befkoof!" Translated means "Are you more of a scoundrel or a moron?"

We easily know examples of scoundrels name any politician! As for morons it is the soldiers.

I think that most people (I say most, they might be some idealistic morons) who join the armed forces of any country do it for purposes other than patriotism. Maybe it a career, a means of getting an education as it is in the US by means of the GI bill.

I don't know about you but the only people I'm willing to lay down my life for are my kids. This is makes evolutionary sense as your kids are the propogators of your genes.