[PAX] Explain patriotism, please.

[Patrick Williams]

Thanks for taking the time to structure such a detailed response. I think you raise interesting points..



Do you think that may be due to a shared culture, shared politics, and shared language? How about somewhere entirely foreign to you?
.

Mainly the shared language. I have been to tons of different countries and enjoy the people and culture very much but, at 47, I do not have a quick ability to pick up languages anymore (not that it was ever great!). The hardest things to overcome, culture wise, is usually food and music (or, at least, that is what sociologists say). But, I said "English speaking" because of my difficulty learning new languages at mid-life. When I was in Turkey, my last assignment, I really, really had trouble speaking the language and butchered it, I am sure - I think it is because I am tone deaf (not deaf, just tone deaf) and have trouble hearing inflections good. When a friend tried to teach me Arabic, he kept say, "no, you pronounce it like this...." and I kept trying and just could not get it so it is the language that made me say that only (not politics because I am apolitical and have ceased to vote, sad to say but true). If I could learn the language, I think I could enjoy almost any people group and probably move from America to a different nation (all this hyper-capitalism and chasing after the Almighty dollar is nonsensical to me...people live to make money, it seems to me, in America - honestly, what kind of life is that? The only thing I would require is religious freedom so I can live my Christian beliefs in peace and human kindness).