If a country needs to overly emphasise an ideal, that’s usually because that ideal doesn’t apply in that country (“Land of the free”, “Democratic people’s republic of …”).
If a person needs to subscribe to patriotism, it’s usually because they have never accomplished anything better in their life than being born in a specific place.
It could also be because people like it
Let me be patriotic in peace
Nationalism is a cancer that has caused millions of deaths. Fuck that. They are tools used to distract from the fact that oligarchs steal everyone’s wages and livehoods.
“How dare I enjoy the celebrations”
Having a grill != a Holocaust / Gaza genocide / queer genocide. Nice way to be disingenuous, buddy.
Bread and games to distract from actual problems. To create loyalty for things that don’t deserve loyalty and to push tribalism and “us-vs-them”.
No, patriotism isn’t harmless fun.
It can be good and it can be bad