[MAPC-discuss] quotes on Patriotism and on Americanism (fwd)

[MAPC-discuss] quotes on Patriotism and on Americanism (fwd)

born-digital

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2001-11-02

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 10:59:01 -0500
Subject: quotes on Patriotism and on Americanism


"Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense
that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately I hate them!"
--Albert Einstein


QUOTATION: Patriotism is a lively sense of collective responsibility.
Nationalism is a silly cock crowing on its own dunghill and calling for
larger spurs and brighter beaks. I fear that nationalism is one of
Englands many spurious gifts to the world.
ATTRIBUTION: Richard Aldington (18921962), British author.


QUOTATION: Patriotism ruins history.
ATTRIBUTION: Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (17491832), German poet, dramatist.

AUTHOR: Charles de Gaulle, President of France
QUOTATION: Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first;
nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.

[Patriotism] ...is a word which always commemorates a robbery. There isn't
a foot of land in the world which doesn't represent the ousting and
re-ousting of a longline of successive "owners" who each in turn, as
"patriots" with proud swelling hearts defended it against the next gang of
"robbers" who came to steal it and did--and became swelling-hearted
patriots in their turn.
- Mark Twain's Notebook

Man is the only Patriot. He sets himself apart in his own country, under
his own flag, and sneers at the other nations, and keeps multitudinous
uniformed assassins on hand at heavy expense to grab slices of other
people's countries, and keep them from grabbing slices of his. And in the
intervals between campaigns he washes the blood of his hands and works for
"the universal brotherhood of man"- with his mouth.
Mark Twain, "The Lowest Animal"

Many a bum show has been saved by the flag.
~ George M. Cohan [didn't he write God Bless America????]

No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent,
rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
~ Barbara Ehrenreich ~
Nationalism is our form of incest, is our idolatry, is our insanity.
"Patriotism" is its cult. It should hardly be necessary to say, that by
"patriotism" I mean that attitude which puts the own nation above humanity,
above the principles of truth and justice; not the loving interest in one's
own nation, which is the concern with the nation's spiritual as much as
with its material welfare --never with its power over other nations. Just
as love for one individual which excludes the love for others is not love,
love for one's country which is not part of one's love for humanity is not
love, but idolatrous worship.
~ Erich Fromm ~

Intellectually I know that America is no better than any other country;
emotionally I know she is better than every other country.
~ Sinclair Lewis ~

You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face
reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.
~ Malcolm X ~

God has given you your country as cradle, and humanity as mother; you
cannot rightly love your brethren of the cradle if you love not the common
mother.
~ Giuseppe Mazzini ~





Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons.
~ Bertrand Russell ~

AMERICANS
How much longer are we going to think it necessary to be "American" before
(or in contradistinction to) being cultivated, being enlightened, being
humane, and having the same intellectual discipline as other civilized
countries?
~ Edith Wharton ~

America is a land where a citizen will cross the ocean to fight for
democracy--and won't even cross the street to vote in a national
election.--Bill Vaughan (1915-1977)

America is one of the finest countries anyone ever stole.--Bobcat
Goldthwaite

America is the best half-educated country in the world.--Nicholas Murray
Butter

America is the only nation in history which miraculously has gone directly
from barbarism to degeneration without the usual interval of
civilization.--George Clemenceau (1841-1929)

Americans always try to do the right thing--after they've tried everything
else.--Winston Churchill

Americans have different ways of saying things. They say `elevator', we say
`lift'. . .they say `President', we say `stupid psychopathic git'. . .
.--Alexi Sayle

I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.--Thomas Jefferson
(1743--1826)

Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any
Indian.--Robert Orben

Ninety eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking,
honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent that get all the
publicity. But then, we elected them.--Lily Tomlin (1939--)

We don't know what we want, but we are ready to bite somebody to get
it.--Will Rogers (1879--1935)

What a pity, when Christopher Columbus discovered America, that he ever
mentioned it.--Margot Asquith

When good Americans die, they go to Paris; when bad Americans die they go
to America.--Oscar Wilde (1856--1900)


At 05:07 AM 11/1/01 -0600, you wrote:



>"Samuel Johnson's saying that patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels
>has some truth in it, but not nearly enough. Patriotism, in truth, is the
>great nursery of scoundrels, and its annual output is probably greater that
>of even religion. Its chief glories are the demagogue, the military bully,
>and the spreader of libels and false history. Its philosophy rests firmly
>on the doctrine that the end justifies the means - that any blow, whether
>above or below the belt, is fair against dissenters from its wholesale
>denial of plain facts." -- H.L. Mencken


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Friday, November 02, 2001 4:35 AM

[MAPC-discuss] quotes on Patriotism and on Americanism (fwd)