"The game of identity politics appeals to shared roots in blood, soil, descent and religion. The trappings of flags, ceremonies, anthems, parades and kinship are powerful tools employed by the controlling elite. They attract committed followers who are prepared to make enormous sacrifices- foregoing security, wealth, family and life itself - with unwavering loyalty to the common sacred cause."
This golden nugget is about identity politics, triggered by the state of current affairs in many parts of the world, including my own country.
Whoever wrote it, decries jingoism, regimentation and misplaced patriotism deliberately fuelled by scheming leaders for their own ends. One needs to think hard about Bertrand Russel's famous quote, which resonates to the same theme: "Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons." and remember what Johannes Rau said at his acceptance speech when he was elected Federal President of Germany: "A patriot is someone who loves his fatherland, a nationalist is someone who despises the fatherlands of the others."
Am I a patriot or a nationalist?
[ Now and then, I come across a brilliant saying which cries out to be shared. I've been placing these quotes at the top of this blog since April 2014. The first quote that I posted was Arthur C Clarke's gem:
Whoever wrote it, decries jingoism, regimentation and misplaced patriotism deliberately fuelled by scheming leaders for their own ends. One needs to think hard about Bertrand Russel's famous quote, which resonates to the same theme: "Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons." and remember what Johannes Rau said at his acceptance speech when he was elected Federal President of Germany: "A patriot is someone who loves his fatherland, a nationalist is someone who despises the fatherlands of the others."
Am I a patriot or a nationalist?
[ Now and then, I come across a brilliant saying which cries out to be shared. I've been placing these quotes at the top of this blog since April 2014. The first quote that I posted was Arthur C Clarke's gem:
"I don't believe in astrology. I am a Sagittarius and we're very skeptical".
From now on, whenever I display a new quote, I'm also posting a short comment under the title Golden Nuggets.]
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