Someone who loves his country is the one who helps to improve it. I am also fond of my country, even though I spend a lot of time criticising and ranting about the politics. I think what makes you love your country is your heritage. When I look at my passport, it says 'Kingdom of Spain' but it goes beyond an official paper. As you noticed, my life would be tremendously different if I were born in a different country or even continent.

I am aware I wasn't born in the best place, precisely. We are surrounded by negative views by most people because of the Inquisition and Colonialism. After interacting with some users, I perceive they have a very poor image about Spain, even they comment with animosity. But, precisely these comments, reinforce my love of my country. I don't want to live anywhere else nor change my nationality.

"Love" is a great big, amorphous, elastic Santa sack of a word.

For some people, love of country means being loyal to the hierarchy of that country - reverence for the monarch, the president, the constitution, the state religion or whatever system of command is in place. That's pretty much the same as the need to belong, to feel secure in one's place and function within the society. Such people are usually willing to do whatever is asked of them by the system.

For some, it means a culture, a people with language, history and traditions in common. Again, this is about belonging, but more like affection for one's family. Even if some of its members are annoying and troublesome, even if our ancestors did despicable things, even if we can see room for improvement in many of our customs, we can tolerate, even humour our family members, and defend them against all outsiders.

For some, it's an attachment to the geographical place itself, like being rooted - the wild landscape, the productive farmland, the rivers and lakes, seashore, mountains, cities, bridges, prairies, deserts - whatever one's native country looks and sounds and smells like. While such a lover of place may find similar landscapes elsewhere, they can never shake the nostalgia for home. And if some stranger wants to take that home-land from them, or despoil it, they will take up arms, however pacific they may otherwise be.

For some, it's strong belief in the ideology of their nation; a set of beliefs that supports a shared self-image, which is the national identity. These are convictions (or delusions) so intensely held that people kill and die for them. When the image begins to fray, the mirror is tarnished, and lovers of country questions their own belief in it, and maybe even the veracity of the national narrative itself, one of two things happen. A frank discussion, airing of different views, and reform, or that country lapses into social unrest, internal strife, sometimes civil war.

I really don't like mine, so It's hard to comment but I have an (i take to be) intrinsic, unshakeable love for Ireland. I am Irish, but I've never lived there - just visited. Odd.

I assume at the heart of most countries with similar forms of government they can't be too terribly different? — TiredThinker

Countries can very different- customs, values, geography, religions - there's no end to the potential diversity. A lot depends, I suspect, upon how much we are capable of noticing and participating in that difference.

I am fond of my country of the United States, but I can't say I love it. — TiredThinker

To love one's country is just a romantic, idiomatic expression for patriotism. Since many people seem incapable of loving other people, one wonders how they fair with the nation state.

Since many people seem incapable of loving other people, one wonders how they fair with the nation state. — Tom Storm

It's easy to declare a passionate adherence to something that makes very few demands.

It's easy to declare a passionate adherence to something that makes very few demands. — Vera Mont

I suspect our nations would make many demands upon us if only we listened.

Love is one of those words, isn't it? I can 'love' Siamese cats, pizza and (god forbid) the novels of Dan Brown. But what does this really say? It expresses a preference, a fondness for these things?

In Australia we often regarded strident American patriotism as amusing - the hand on heart stuff is something alien to the Australian sensibility of my youth. But since the late 1990's, we've begun to resemble the US in as much as we borrow their identity politics and right wing tropes. Perhaps it's because we share a Rupert Murdoch? How is the UK faring?

In Australia we often regarded strident American patriotism as amusing - the hand on heart stuff is something alien to the Australian sensibility of my youth. But since the late 1990's, we've begun to resemble the US in as much as we borrow their identity politics and right wing tropes. — Tom Storm

Ad yet Australians (relation to natives notwithstanding) have always been valiant in their aid of their sovereign (who was not even of their physical country) and of the Commonwealth, just like Canadians. We're independent now, but we didn't stop being patriots. The traditions and loyalties persist.
Neither Australians nor Canadians tend to be especially bellicose or demonstrative by temperament. The American jingoism had always struck me as 'protesting too much', as if trying to convince themselves. But maybe they just like theater - to do everything big and splashy and shiny and noisy.
I guess it's contagious... Hey, we're good patriots, too!

What does it mean to love one's country?

Patriotism is more about virtue/social signaling, which helps to organize groups/movements with shared goals/identity/politics/delusions. We say we love our country insofar as it says something about ourselves to other people, as a means to certain ends.

But since the late 1990's, we've begun to resemble the US in as much as we borrow their identity politics and right wing tropes. — Tom Storm

The left in Australia has taken after the US far more than the right.

I wouldn't say that myself, but you might be right. I find the left to be mostly a conga-line of hectoring fuck-sticks. And we certainly stole some of the progressive identity politics nonsense. But the right wing identity politics, as espoused by Abbot, Dutton, Morrison, et al, has often been very Republican and even Trump-like. Hence Fox News/Sky News consistent advocacy of our Liberal (right wing) Party in language that might make sense to Republicans, but not old school Australian Liberal Party voters. As a rule I don't follow politics. I detest it.

LMAOOOO. Fair enough

I find the left to be mostly a conga-line of hectoring fuck-sticks. — Tom Storm

If I had to pick a side, it would be the left, but I still find the remark amusing as it reminds me of the classic Viz insult "Go piss up a rope, fuckstick!".

As a rule I don't follow politics. I detest it. — Tom Storm

It mostly boils down to who can tell the best lies. Not too edifying as a spectator sport for sure.

:up: Glad Viz is remembered.