Recess

People do many bad things for selfish reasons: they do worse things for their families.

But they do the worst in the name of patriotism, and they are made proud by these crimes:

• spying, 
• unduly heavy tax collecting, 
• sacrificing lives, and 
• waging wars. 

(Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar Of Wisdom, 9 December) 21 December 2012

Patriotism and Religion

Stories of bravery and heroism are important to a nation trying to propagandize its citizens to participate in the conduct of war. ...

Patriotism and war go together.  Anytime anyone gets thinking patriotism is one of the supreme virtues, it would be a good idea to remember that there was never any group of people more patriotic than the Nazi Germans.  It's strange that love of country brings out the vicious character in so many people. In that respect, it's a lot like religion. Here are two things that almost everyone agrees are good, patriotism and religion, but between them they account for almost all the people who ever died in a war.
(Andy Rooney, My War, p. 107)
4 October 2012

War No More

Let's not confuse war with patriotism; we're all citizens of the whole world, and war hurts our human family.  (Casey and Vanceburg, The Promise Of A New Day, 18 October)  23 October 2011