After World War II, the allied world (except for the USA) decided that nationalism is bad because it leads to Hitler, so you have cosmopolitan Europeans and Canadians falling all over themselves trying not to exhibit any sort of national pride
It's good that you added the word "cosmopolitan" here, because large chunks of the population in most European countries don't try to hide their nationalism in any way.
and in fact telling people they have no attachment to their accidentally assigned nationality
This phrasing is insidious because you're implicitly denying that this position could be hold earnestly. In fact, I'm German, and I will tell you exactly that. I'm grateful for being born into a situation of relative wealth, freedom and stability. But to me, a state is not much more than a provider of legal and physical infrastructure. How can you peek into my head to verify whether that is just a claim or the truth?
How can you peek into my head to verify whether that is just a claim or the truth?
That's just the thing. I can't. But I think more Germans would openly express pride in being German if pride in being German weren't associated with goosestepping and gas chambers.
Whatever the case, the only thing I have is the extensional evidence -- their claims. So that's all I'll cop to.
Comments
It's good that you added the word "cosmopolitan" here, because large chunks of the population in most European countries don't try to hide their nationalism in any way.
This phrasing is insidious because you're implicitly denying that this position could be hold earnestly. In fact, I'm German, and I will tell you exactly that. I'm grateful for being born into a situation of relative wealth, freedom and stability. But to me, a state is not much more than a provider of legal and physical infrastructure. How can you peek into my head to verify whether that is just a claim or the truth?
Yeah, that one puzzles me, too.
That's just the thing. I can't. But I think more Germans would openly express pride in being German if pride in being German weren't associated with goosestepping and gas chambers.
Whatever the case, the only thing I have is the extensional evidence -- their claims. So that's all I'll cop to.