![An Important Distinction [Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]](https://www.smbc-comics.com/comics/1476886340-20161019.png){kind=link}
An old comic that feels oh so relevant in this tumultuous election year.
Source: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/an-important-distinction
An old comic that feels oh so relevant in this tumultuous election year.
Source: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/an-important-distinction
If you’re not American then we don’t have any shared political system for which we can improve America. And therefore we have no serious system to help each other out.
None of this works unless we’re working to build the same thing or same concept.
Again, why are you even talking about america? I certainly am not, and the op is just a generalized patriotism vs nationalism comic. The above commenter you replied to originally makes no indication they are referring to america either.
I get it, your system failing is a hot topic for you, but outside your bubble nobody knows or really cares about the inner workings of your government, beyond which senile capitalist you eventually elect to change nothing for the better.
Because this is a topic about Patriotism and who is actually going to help my country. And building a culture that encourages people to help my country.
I’m happy with “Americans” being my bubble. I honestly don’t need to care about others, and as you point out there’s plenty enough to worry about if we keep it to Americans alone.
SMBC-comics is obviously itself an American comic strip as well (A PH.D who lives in USA in any case), so you’re coming over here to talk about an American comic, talking about American issues that’s bringing up American political discussion and… like shitting on it? Okay, no one asked you to come over.
Now my question to you is: what are you doing in this topic? Are you seriously trying to discourage me from improving the country where I live? Or are you trying to say your country is better or something? I don’t even know what your perspective is.
I know you skimp on your education system, but do you not understand my words? Patriotism doesnt automatically mean america. This isnt about who or what or how your country can avoid going full masks off fascism, this is a semi serious comparison between nationalism and patriotism in a comic format.
And if you want to talk to Americans about american problems I suggest a less international community dedicated to such musings, instead of self centeredly derailing a random, at best tangentially related comment section.
My point is that your entire perspective is already warped. You have no way to get me and you to communicate and effectively work together. The very fact that you and I are disagreeing is the very point I’m trying to make.
Now an American who discusses things with me, that’s different. Because we can at least hold commonality between our country, and both of us would benefit from our country moving forward and progressing.
Exactly. You hate us, look down upon us, etc. etc… That’s fine. I’ll work with the people who are willing to talk with me, work with me, and think about the betterment of our country. I honestly don’t need people like you in my life.
This is a discussion about Patriotism. IE: things we do for the love of our country. If we don’t share a country, there’s not much we can share being Patriotic about, now is there? And thus, the discussion goes sideways and there’s no hope of us ever possibly coordinating with each other.
Alas: such is life.
Of course you can discuss patriotism even with people who are not patriotic, or who are patriotic for different things. That’s what this whole post is for.
It looks to me like the point of the comic is to draw a line between Patriotism, a basic technique for getting your fellow countrymen to help build the country better… and Nationalism, a technique for getting your fellow countrymen to hate each other and turn violent.
Followed up with a bunch of people who don’t even understand the point to “Patriotism” to begin with.