Challenging the symbolism that represents our society tends to evoke some unconscious anger in a lot of people. For example, to question the validity of the american flag, or flags in general, will undoubtedly piss off a ton of people.
There is this idea, that you are allowed to hate your government, but you must still love your country. I disagree with this idea because I believe that these two concepts are interwoven and basically the same thing.
We need to challenge the idea of a country in general, not just the specific government that we have today. The concept of a country is basically the idea that people are bound to one another through their geography. As a result of the place they were born, they have a set of rules they need to adhere to based on their neighbor's principles, which they may or may not agree with. This is what flags represent, the idea that you are not a free individual, but a cog in some machine that allows you very little free choice in your day to day life.
You can love your neighbors, love the geography that you live around, without claiming allegiance to a "country" or its symbolism.
A country is not a place, it is a forced arrangement that people are born into. Which is personally, why I hate my government, hate my country, and have no respect for flags of any kind. When I say this, I mean no disprespect towards my neighbors, their beliefs, or the place that I live, but I mean all the disrespect in the world for the violent gang that lords over me and my neighbors, force conformity in our beliefs, and controll the territory that I live on.
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John Vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. He also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. John just won a 3-year-long battle with cancer, and will be working to help others through his experience, if you wish to contribute to his medical bills consider subscribing to his podcast to support at https://www.patreon.com/johnvibes
Countries and governments are essentially the same. But there is also culture. Your culture is formed by your ancestors need to survive and prosper in a certain region of this world and is unique to your home. While countries are rigid, cultures are fluid. They dynamically adopt to new realities. They have no fixed borders. Identification with your culture is voluntary and you are even free to only accept parts of it.
If people hate their culture, just don't live by it. But for all people wanting to love their country, i recommend to love your culture instead.
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Flags and war go hand and hand. A flag represents a symbolic fictional ideal that people have fought and died for. That’s why it’s so powerful for so many people. I don’t understand patriotism or love for one’s country. It parallels religious thinking and sensationalism. It is not a healthy or beneficial thing for society. I understand love for your culture, your neighbors, family and friends. But to love an idea, a symbol, a fiction, I just can’t begin to understand what it’s like to live in that. So it’s hard to even dialogue with those captured by the state dogma.
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I agree, very often it is these ideas that are self perpetuating, people have faught in the past for the symbol therefore the symbol now has meaning which means they must fight again for it. It would be great if we could put as much time and energy into creating global peace.
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Well said.
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Thanks :-) I think that day will come, its just evolution of mind, it will happen. :-)
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I think very often people hold onto the idea of symbols and flags because they do not know what else to hold onto. When it comes down to it we are all just people, and sadly the more we define ourselves as separate via ideas and names we become more divided, although on saying that true and total evolution would be to be able to be strong individually and different, yet still united and in peace, if humanity gets to that place, we will survive.
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Patriotism has become a mental illness.
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A country's image is portrayed on the flag itself. Its just the way people see it though
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