by Bhumika Ghimire

Created on: February 11, 2009

"Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it." said George Bernard Shaw, "Patriotism ruins history."said the great German Goethe and "The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?" said Pablo Casals. I agree with these great men, patriotism in today's world is a divisive force that does nothing to foster respect and understanding among nations and the people.

Look around, you will see many conflicts in Africa, Middle East that were started primarily because people in two countries thought that their nation's interest triumps greater human good. Israel and Palestine are locked in a tug of war, no one wants to give up their land for peace. Their land, their country is greater than millions of people living in peace and harmony. Millions of people would be alive today if Israel and Palestine had a humanist leadership rather than those promising patriotism.

In other parts of the world too patriotism has wrecked havoc. Here in United States, we so blinded by the love for the nation that we chose to ignore the obvious. After 9/11, the patriotic fever was so high that we were blindfolded into agreeing with the un-constitutional Patriot Act, we were forced into believing that giving up civil rights so cherished by the founding fathers is a way to fight terrorism and then we were fooled into believing that Iraq war is necessary. If only the American people had taken few seconds to think as independent citizen and not as Americans, we could have avoided so many disasters.

Instead of partiotism, it is time that nations promote humanism. We have to respect humanity, human dignity, human rights more than we love our country. Patriotism promotes bitterness among nations, humanism promotes love for all.

We are talking aabout a "global village" nowadays, there are also talks about "globalism". In times like this, humanism is the best approach. It will bring people of different parts of the world togethre and truly create a "global village". Patriotism worked well for the people of 19th and 20th century. They built great nations, amassed wealth and even inslaved people, empowered by the conviction that their nation, their people's interest reign supreme.But times have changes and we need each other more than ever before. World is coming closer and we need to be humanists rather than bitter patriots.

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