As my playchess/ICC thread was hijacked for other, darker purposes I'd
like to start a separate thread.

Complete the following sentence in ten words or less

Being proud of your country is like being proud of ...

I once heard the idea that a flag should be replaced by a picture of
your mum and dad having sex. This seems to sum it up nicely.

cheers

dd

I'll pass on completing your sentence, but if you are really interested in
the topic suggested by your subject header, I'd suggest reading The Third
Chimpanzee, by Jared M. Diamond.

The general gist of it is that many aggressive, destructive human behaviors,
such as rape, spousal abuse, war, homicide, and even genocide have been
observed in chimpanzees, which are our closest genetic relatives. These
behaviors suggest a tendency in human behavior to protect one's own and
destroy the "other," which has also been observed in chimpanzees, and
Diamond suggests it is instinctive. Patriotism may be an extension of this
tendency.


Michael Dean

(DDEckerslyke) wrote in message . com
is not enough concerned with the right to privacy:

I once heard the idea that a flag should
be replaced by a picture of
your mum and dad having sex.

Wouldn't it require that the other two partners agree?

Wlod

You're sick!
"DDEckerslyke" wrote in message
om...
As my playchess/ICC thread was hijacked for other, darker purposes I'd
like to start a separate thread.

Complete the following sentence in ten words or less

Being proud of your country is like being proud of ...

I once heard the idea that a flag should be replaced by a picture of
your mum and dad having sex. This seems to sum it up nicely.

cheers

dd

"DDEckerslyke" wrote in message
om...
As my playchess/ICC thread was hijacked for other, darker purposes I'd
like to start a separate thread.

Complete the following sentence in ten words or less

Being proud of your country is like being proud of ...

I once heard the idea that a flag should be replaced by a picture of
your mum and dad having sex. This seems to sum it up nicely.

cheers

dd

Love has no rational purpose, either. I don't try and break it down; I just
enjoy it.

Regards,

Matt

..
Love has no rational purpose, either.


As usual, Matt Nemmers is mistaken. There is a perfectly rational
explanation (or "purpose") for love.

(DDEckerslyke) wrote in message . com...
As my playchess/ICC thread was hijacked for other, darker purposes I'd
like to start a separate thread.

Complete the following sentence in ten words or less

Being proud of your country is like being proud of ...

I once heard the idea that a flag should be replaced by a picture of
your mum and dad having sex. This seems to sum it up nicely.

cheers

dd

The basis for patriotism is self-interest. Rational or not? You decide.

David Ames

illspam (NoMoreChess) wrote in message ...
.
Love has no rational purpose, either.


As usual, Matt Nemmers is mistaken. There is a perfectly rational
explanation (or "purpose") for love.

Just a profession like any other.

Wlod

(DDEckerslyke) wrote in message
. com...
...
Complete the following sentence in ten words or less
Being proud of your country is like being proud of ...

I once heard the idea that a flag should be replaced by a picture
of your mum and dad having sex. This seems to sum it up nicely.

Here's what Edward Lasker wrote about nationalism:

"My French friend proved to be a very interesting fellow, remarkably mature
for his 18 years. He was studying mathematics at the Sorbonne, and we compared
notes on the French and German system of education. Basically, there did
not seem to be much difference. ... In both countries the youngsters were
indoctrinated with the most stupid kind of nationalism. The result was that
every German boy reached maturity with the conviction that everything in
Germany was better than in any other country; and every French boy reached
maturity with the same conviction regarding France. In later years, when I
lived in England and in the United States, I was much surprised to find that
the same methods were used, as a matter of course, in Anglo-Saxon schools.
I do not wonder that we had two world wars."
--Edward Lasker ('Chess Secrets', p. 135)

And there's another country,
I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her,
Most great to them that know.
We may not count her armies;
We may not see her King.
Her fortress is a faithful heart,
Her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently
Her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness
And all her paths are peace.
--Cecil Spring-Rice (1918, 'I Vow to Thee, My Country')

--Nick

..
Here's what Edward Lasker wrote about nationalism:

"My French friend proved to be a very interesting fellow, remarkably mature
for his 18 years. He was studying mathematics at the Sorbonne, and we
compared
notes on the French and German system of education. Basically, there did
not seem to be much difference. ... In both countries the youngsters were
indoctrinated with the most stupid kind of nationalism. The result was that
every German boy reached maturity with the conviction that everything in
Germany was better than in any other country; and every French boy reached
maturity with the same conviction regarding France. In later years, when I
lived in England and in the United States, I was much surprised to find that
the same methods were used, as a matter of course, in Anglo-Saxon schools.
I do not wonder that we had two world wars."

--Edward Lasker ('Chess Secrets I Learned from the Masters', p. 135)



I think Mr. Lasker was correct.


However, it is mistaken to refer to American schools as "Anglo-Saxon." Here
in America. there are many different peoples, from a diverse range of
ancestries, only one of which is "Anglo-Saxon."
The idea of American schools being comprised of homogenous "Anglo-Saxons" is
almost racist, in addition to being erroneous.


------------------------------------------

Note that a standard definition of "patriotism" will mention the word "love,"
while a dictionary definition for "nationalism" will usually not.

No dictionary I know of gives Edward Lasker's incisive "stupid" in the
description of either term -- showing the vast superiority of anecdotes over
pedantic definitions! :-)