Flying the Flag.
A few days ago (Wednesday I think) it was announced that the Union Flag (also called the Union Jack) was 400 years old. They had a small piece on it on the morning news and that was basically it. No fanfare, no celebrations.
I was rather surprised by this lack of national enthusiasm but not particularly disappointed. You see I’m not a Nationalist and never have been. Now don’t get me wrong, I like living here. England is one of the best places on the planet to live. We don’t get hurricanes (often) or revolutions (often). Everything’s pretty stable – OK, maybe not the weather but nearly everything. There are certainly a lot less pleasant places to live. But do I think that England is the best place to live? No, I don’t. I’ve visited other countries and thought to myself “I could live here” without any qualms or pangs of disloyalty.
I certainly wouldn’t call myself a patriot – whatever that means. I don’t have the attitude ‘My Country - right or wrong’. We have done many questionable things in our history and will probably continue to do so. I’m not the kind of person who would happily go off to war on the say so of our Government. Again I think that we have one of the best ‘systems’ in the world but I don’t think that our traditions are worth dying or killing for. Would I lose a nights sleep over the loss of the Pound if it was replaced by the Euro? No. I certainly didn’t have any problems over ‘decimalisation’ back in the 70’s or the ‘loss’ of imperial weights and measures. I certainly don’t see it as a threat to our ‘national identity’.
What IS our national identity anyway? The Government and some NGO’s (Non-Governmental Organisations) have been trying, and failing, to somehow divine and codify what it means to be British. I’m not even sure that such a ‘national identity’ even exists and I wonder if it ever did. Personally I regard my nation as fairly low down on my list of personal identifications. Firstly I regard myself as a European. Then as a human being from planet Earth – for want of a better word a Terran (sounds silly I know), then as a Liverpudlian/Scouser (originating from Liverpool) and finally as British/English.
Nationalism probably served a function in centuries gone by. Now I think that the nation-state causes far more problems than it solves. Today the world is far too small, far too fragile and far too heavily armed for nationalism and the following of national interests to continue in its present form. We may have already passed the point where nationalism serves any useful purpose. With luck the nation-state will fade away of its own accord though I’m guessing that some are more likely to be swept away in tides of blood.
Being proud of your nation is one thing, defending your nation from attack is one thing but using the idea of ‘national interests’ to dominate others is, and should forever be, unacceptable. Be a patriot by all means but be a questioning patriot.
10 comments:
Good post as always, it's the 3 words at the end that are most important - 'be a questioning'. If you question and then decide, then as we say 'everyone has the right to their own opinion'. It's blind faith in anything that I can't bear.
Thanks. I'd been thinking about the topic for a while after a debate on Said Lou's Blog recently & the news item earlier in the week.
Thinking about things is good. I like thinking... oh, and being critical.. that too.
CK,
Well said ... I wouldn't change a word. Blind nationalism is one of the things that annoy me the most.
So it was my post that sparked this post. Cool.
Being a questioning patriot is a given.
There are a lot of things I don't like about my country but the sweet thing is: I can make a difference. I can change what I don't like. I have a voice.
The fact that I care and follow through with action is true patriotism. To live somewhere and say you are patriotic but then just sit back and let other people get their hands dirty is the kind of nationalism that sucks.
what does it mean to be Brittish? Stiff upper lip and basement temp beer. Bull dog determination. Sense of humor tending to silly and slapstick (think Benny Hill and Monty Python). Bowlers, pinstipes, and trnchcoats. wool shooting jackets wih elbow patches. Driving caps. Patient to a fault (my god, how can you sit through a three day cricket match?). Sturdy legs (how can you stand at a bar for all that time?
At least thats how this guy just one gneration removed from Leigh, Lancashire views "Brittish"
The prototypical English couple? Andy Capp and Flo. who just happen to look remarkably like my Grandma and Grandpa Clarke!
I agree CK. I love my country but I question a GREAT DEAL of what the government does and is doing...The frustration for me and for so many Americans is the feeling of impotence...What can we do? And whatever we DO do, doesn't seem to make a difference...at least not with this present group of politicians....Mr Bush and Company. I think we must always question what the government is doing and saying...Good Post My Dear.
A Very Happy Easter To You!
I think its reasonable pride, I like living here I'm proud to be English I'm proud of (most) of our history, I support English teams in sport and love a good Sunday Roast. But on forms I always declare myself as European, partly because my heritage is so mixed, partly because I dislike tribal identities as a them / us factor... I'm from England, you're from Scotland, or France, I'm female, your male, I'm a liverpool supporter your Man U...
Tribalism is very important in forming social groups and utterly destructive if left to run amok whatever level its pitched at.
In more cynical moments I often think the only time Humanity will even come close to be united is when we have something/someone to unite against... but even then I doubt it will hold
RCA said, "In more cynical moments I often think the only time Humanity will even come close to be united is when we have something/someone to unite against..." -- hence my affinity for sci-fi. If something would happen to make us see ourselves as the human race instead of individual races, a lot of progress would be made. One would think global warming and the destruction of our environment would be such an event. But leave it to religion (or some that are religious) to split us apart and deny what is staring us in the face.
I think that we're far too tribal a species to be united by just about anything.... even an alien invasion or the whole 'end of the world' thing....
Some group would always go for their own advantage over everyone else - no matter what the consequences. Sad, isn't it.
Nationalism is such a tenuous thing, it does not take much to tip it into fascism.
I grew up in South Africa where nationalism was used in the most insidious way.
I have lived in Britain and now in New Zealand and am acutely aware of nationalism in all its various guises.
The conclusion I have come to is that none of these countries (or any other for that matter) give any reason for national pride.
I pledge allegiance to no flag, flags are hooks with which to reel you into the morass of nationalism and thereafter to manipulate your views and store you away for possible future cannon fodder.
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