Yes! You can love your country without worshipping the state
September 29, 2006 by William K. Wolfrum
Here in Brazil, the most popular colors for clothing are green and yellow. You see people wearing shirts emblazoned with “Brasil” all day long. Everyone owns their own replica of the national soccer team’s jersey.
People here adore Brazil.
The average Brazilian, however, believes that their government is a bunch of crooks, to be treated with suspicion, and with the knowledge that they will eventually screw the general population.
People here hate their government.
They are not considered “anti-Brazilian” for hating their government, however. I get the impression things are that way in most nations, actually, with at very least citizens remaining constantly wary of those that serve them.
Strange how that’s not at all the way things are in the United States, where if you don’t love the “State” then you must hate the country and all it stands for.
Strange.
–WKW
[...] In a story about a work slowdown by air traffic controllers in Brazil, the Associated Press found an example which shows more about Brazilians then you ever knew. [...]
[...] I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about global warming. One, I live in Brazil, and I’m landlocked. Watch any disaster movie, with the exception of maybe Starship Troopers. South America is always just fine. [...]
[...] Now, while I don’t agree with the vast majority of these rules and feel the average American doesn’t need the State to be their babysitters, I am but a man of my time and like the rest of you, stuck with these rules while in the U.S. [...]
[...] One look at any of the aforementioned sites shows that they only have passing interest in any other issue whether domestic or foreign, and mainly those interests are inter-related to more war. It is a simplistic view of the both foreign affairs and domestic policy – the economy and all other issues will take care of themselves, provided your nation slaughters and enslaves all that would challenge The State. [...]