Confederate Flag: living in the past or just showing pride?

The reason why I am against state patriotism is because I am gainst patriotism in general. It is a very strong force within a society and one that does not always have the desired effects. Therefor I consider patriotism quite dangerous. Patriotism also has good effects no doubt there. But I am against every force that could become uncontrolably. Patriotism comes very close to Nationalism (and I sure as hell don't like that) So that's why I am against patriotism in general.

Now about state patriotism or whatever subform. To me patriotism is only possible when you have something to be patriotic about and to define what you are patriotic about you need boundries (else you will be patriotic about everything which has no point) Those boundries (IMO) are set by cultural differences. Like e.g. the UK has a different culture than the US. altho the difference between most countries (certainly in the same region) is quite small. So the margin for patriotism (IMO) is already small on a national scale. to go and divide it even further into regions and states is just too silly in my opinion.

It would also not help the unity in a country which IMO is far more important then being patriotic about your own region.

slavery is a serious black eye on the united states and should never be forgotten and in a case of considering waving a Confederate flag around you might as well spit in any descendant of a slave or American Indians face.

The reason why I am against state patriotism is because I am gainst patriotism in general. It is a very strong force within a society and one that does not always have the desired effects. Therefor I consider patriotism quite dangerous. Patriotism also has good effects no doubt there. But I am against every force that could become uncontrolably.

War would be about the only exception. i said it also has some good aspects

But the definition is indeed far from perfect Finti

I tend to agree with Fire, patriotism, and even worse, jingoism, can go way to far, and it is wrong when a nation, any nation gets to the point where the people will support the country, the powers no matter what, just out of a misguided belief in patriotism, and those that believe it is unpatriotic to question authority, or to voice concerns... It can be important, and I am not saying it is always bad, but sometimes it can be...

well just for the record I think questioning authority also has serious limits

True, but if there is just cause I think it is important. Far more dangerous when a state gets to the point where citizens don't object to anything, no matter how wrong, out of a sense of patriotism.

gets to the point where the people will support the country, the powers no matter what,

back to topic though, the confederate flag is about the southern way and the pride they lay in that

I would say it is a pride thing.Not to sound rude or anything but it seens to be a personal blow to them even now that they losed.And I guess they still want to show us that they don't care if they losed.
Or something like that!JM

its more about the southern lifestyle, a bit laid back country western/southern rock kind of attitude

First of all the swastika has been used for thousands of years by many different cultures and it had many different connotations. The Nazi Socialist party took it as their emblem because one if it's meanings is that of purity.

On the other had the confederate flag was a symbol designed by a people and adopted by those same people to show that they were different from their country men in the north. I guess they still fly the flag to celebrate their differences, but I ask what differences are they actually celebrating. What are they proud of?

but I ask what differences are they actually celebrating. What are they proud of?

Originally posted by finti
then that would be the same with the stars and stripes then, it represent the history of the US and in that history slavery was allowed, and the treatment of the Native Americans is all uppon the US government not the confederacy

every symbol stands for the meaning behind it, tho that meaning can be different for different people.

and it symbolises that time and mind set when people here discriminated others and the country openly took peoples rights away.

Is understandble that the Confederate flag might be offensive to certain people. And just like I said before is an awful shame that some clowns use it as a symbol of hatred and racism. But we can't always live in the past. Despite the history of the flag what happen then is fading away with the newer generations. In the past these symbols were violated by people with evil inentions. For me a swastika is a symbol of a religion and not of the Nazi regime. And the Confederate flag is a symbol of the Southern states and not of those clowns wearing white bed sheets. That is not to say I'm ignoring the role the symbols played in history. But I'm more like the type that looks at the origins of the Symbols.

What are they proud of?

that they "sent a message" about the choice to secede the union should be up to the individual state, and the fact that they fought for that right.

I think if you ask most people why they are proud of the confederate flag you are not going to get that answer. I think that the "pride of the south" is more indoctrinated than actually singularly acquired and possessed.

I also found it ironic that some one from Norway had to answer my question as opposed to someone from the southern states.
😕

Originally posted by Fire
The reason why I am against state patriotism is because I am gainst patriotism in general. It is a very strong force within a society and one that does not always have the desired effects. Therefor I consider patriotism quite dangerous. Patriotism also has good effects no doubt there. But I am against every force that could become uncontrolably. Patriotism comes very close to Nationalism (and I sure as hell don't like that) So that's why I am against patriotism in general.

Now about state patriotism or whatever subform. To me patriotism is only possible when you have something to be patriotic about and to define what you are patriotic about you need boundries (else you will be patriotic about everything which has no point) Those boundries (IMO) are set by cultural differences. Like e.g. the UK has a different culture than the US. altho the difference between most countries (certainly in the same region) is quite small. So the margin for patriotism (IMO) is already small on a national scale. to go and divide it even further into regions and states is just too silly in my opinion.

It would also not help the unity in a country which IMO is far more important then being patriotic about your own region.

Originally posted by finti
its more about the southern lifestyle, a bit laid back country western/southern rock kind of attitude