A thought provoking post from Ammo.com
The terms “nationalism” and “patriotism” are often used interchangeably. This is understandable, as they have somewhat overlapping meanings, both of which suffer from a certain amount of vagueness. However, there are a number of key differences between the two that are worth shedding light on. In the final analysis, we believe that the term “nationalism,” while not denoting anything totalitarian by its nature, is not an accurate term for the sentiment that exists in the United States. Nationalism, it would seem, is more suited to Europe or Asia, places with historic nations, united by common language and ethnicity that are necessarily tied with a certain area of land.
Full article, HERE.
It’s a good discussion of the differences, including what has/is going on in Europe. It also goes into the differences between ‘blood and soil’, and what we have as Americans.
Definitely worth the read, and worth a few minutes of your time. For many of us that spent time in the military, I think it was more patriotism than anything else- I think ‘our’ definition was more along the lines of devotion to one’s country and defending those ideals and freedoms that America stands for.
And the more places we went, the better America looked to us. We ‘saw’ the other side of the coin, the restrictions, lack of free media, the disenfranchising of certain ethnicities, and last but not least, how cheap life was in some of those places…
I’ve never regretted serving, and I would do it again if called.
With the Marxist race war coming, if our side survives and prevails, nationalism and patriotism will become identical.
It’s high time we thought of ourselves as a nation. Unite or die.
It’s also interesting — in somewhat the same vein — to compare the Pledge of Allegiance in the US or the oath which you and I took — to protect and defend the Constitution — to the pledge which my cousins on the other side of the pond took, and take, where the pledge is a personal commitment between someone — as it might be you or I — and Her Majesty the Queen, to be her loyal servant.
Have never been able to confirm that Curtis actually said this, but it is the only attribution I’ve ever found:
“A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.” –General William Curtis
Hey Old NFO;
We have seen it, and I wish more of our fellow Americans would have seen what we have seen so they wouldn’t take this country for granted. Sure we have problems, but they in the big scheme of things ain’t big and easily fixable. Compared to the other countries I have been to, we are in paradise and I don’t take for granted being an American.
If you’ve seen toddlers sleeping on the street wrapped in newspaper as a blanket or an older woman grabbing a child’s hand to keep them from waving to a busload of U.S. servicemen then you may understand what some of the freedoms we protect are. My grandkids have traveled to third world countries on church excursions and came back with “Gosh Papa, you wouldn’t believe how those poor people live.” I do child, I do.
My dad was stationed on Kwajalein (the island of the Atoll of the same name.) One day we went to the local native island of Ebeye, just one large island north of Kwaj. The differences couldn’t be more stark and simple.
Kwaj was 1st world. Neat, no garbage flying around, houses, grass, all the amenities.
Ebeye was 3rd world. Not neat, garbage flying everywhere, smelled like an open sewer in some places, shacks and shanties and not a spot of green to be seen.
That was when I was 8 years old. That message stuck deep in my mind and has been with me forever since.
It’s the reason I don’t go to a few places in my city, because they smell and look third worldish.
I like the term ultra-nationalist extremist myself.
I’ve actually moved to a position of dissent on the question of ‘ideals and freedoms America stands for’/’America is a creedal nation’.
The behavior preceeded the theory. We came up with the theory, afterwards, to explain it. (There was a period where imitating the theory was a fad with us.)
There are two reasons this may be an important distinction.
One, ‘creed first’ allows the communists to argue that they also have a creed, and why isn’t theirs a realization of ours? Two, ‘behavior first’ allows for the possibility that there is no closed form theory; Trying to model our own behavior only on theory would, in this case, result in an imperfect copy. So flawed a copy could be different in important ways.
Wow, this post must have scared some sensitive Big Tech folks. “Oldnfo.org” has been added to T-Mobile’s “Web Guard” list of restricted content list. I had to call their tech support to unblock your site!
They knocked out my wife’s phone as well. You have to call, get an agent to clear the block, and power-cycle the phone. PITB!
T-Mobile is only trying to keep you safe from the bad thoughts that emanate from Old NFO’s blog. T-Mobile is your betters and will always watch out for you. (/sarc)
I served in the Submarine fleet for just shy of 10 years. I am proud of my time serving and would have served till retirement as an ET1/SS (I was never going to play the political game well enough to make Chief!) if the Navy had wanted me. But decreasing the Fleet and a weight problem made it prudent for me to get out when I did.
I would not serve today.
The country I served did not believe in political correctness tests, or commissars, and I could not serve in that environment. I can’t keep my d@#M fool mouth shut when things are wrong (See the note above about making Chief). And there is no doubt that things are going wrong. When I was in the force was largely conservative and republican. It seems that today’s officers see that as a disqualifying condition.
I can’t accept that.
I find it much easier to have others not hear me by becoming a virtual hermit. Which, of course, when I venture out for provisions or appointments makes it so much harder to keep my mouth shut.
Especially at doctors’ offices. When Herr doctors all start pushing the Covidiocracy. Funny, though, how many of them aren’t vaccinated… Hmmmmm…
I’ve always found it weird when a Western European, mostly continentals, questioned me about our ‘excessive’ use of the American Flag. Always some veiled comment about nazis or fascists and their flags.
At the same time, said questioner is decked out in his/her/its city/province/area flag…
As to patriotism vs nationalism… The right side of the political spectrum is much more patriotic and the left side is much more nationalistic. Sort of. Really hard to quantify. If you know what I mean.
All- Thanks for the comments, and good points raised!!!
Posted from my iPhone as I wait to get my car out of hock to the dealer… sigh
Amen brother! After serving 4 years in the AF one in Nam I would do it again if needed.
Would I do it again, absolutely. Still go to the Y where they have the Navy PRT loaded on some of the bikes and max it. However, I seriously doubt they want another even numbered Chief back on active duty after, cough, cough, holy crap that’s a lot of years..
John- Agreed!
SCPO- I hear ya… sigh…
I’ve long maintained that MANY Americans are born every day, all ’round the world.
I don’t mean people of other nations who will one day immigrate to the US, and, maybe, assimilate. I don’t believe in “magic dirt”.
I mean Americans:
– people who believe, to the core of their being, in the principles upon which the US is based, and which were spread to the world in the Declaration of Independence.
– people who yearn to be independent, to succeed or fail on their own merits and efforts
– people who wish for little more from government than it stay out of the way
– people who want to invent, to create, to explore, to literally reach for the stars
Those are the people I refer to as Americans.
You cannot MAKE an American, they are BORN that way, with an innate spark of liberty, but it IS possible to UNMAKE an American.
Just look around you, you’ll see people who have been chewed up by the holy State, who have been swallowed by dependence, who have had that light extinguished, and who can do nothing but drag down and destroy others in a vain attempt to fake some worth in their lives.
/end rant
Sendarius- That is an excellent point!!! Thanks!
I had 20 years in the AF, and 17 of them in the missile biz. 8 years in 33 different holes in the ground, and only two of them still there, as
museums. Look up https://titanmissilemuseum.org/
The other one was a Minuteman capsule, underground on Whiteman AFB, MO.
I’m glad I served 4 years.
But my son just got out after 26 yrs Navy.
It’s getting bad.