3 ms·

What's wrong with nationalism? Do you also think supporting your local community is weird?

shuckles 4y ago
The specific claim was weirdly nationalistic, which seems reasonable since lots of users outside America use the “American English” keyboard layout, to the point where it’s not clear why that’s the right signifier. Probably more Indian users use that layout than Americans.
drcongo 4y ago
- Veen 4y ago
  > You know countries are just made up right? So are flags, programming languages, natural languages, genders, political parties, ideologies, religions, racial categories, and about a million other things people care deeply about. Dismissing human constructs as "made up" and therefore irrelevant betrays a complete lack of understanding about how human beings operate.
  - drcongo 4y ago
    No it doesn't. Just because people do start wars over most of those things doesn't mean they should. It only takes a little shift to a less insular perspective to realise that the world doesn't have to be that way.
    - Veen 4y ago
      A shift that the vast majority of human beings who have ever lived have not made and will not make. Even if that shift were desirable, it's not going to happen. If you tell people that their nation is an irrelevant construct, most of them will tell you to FO.
      - drcongo 4y ago
        Cool, we should totally stick to killing each other over made up nonsense then.
        mantas 4y ago
        People are killing each other for very concrete things - territory, access to raw goods and the goods themselves, control of other people etc. Wether you remove flags or not, destroy states or not, that won't change. Just a wishful thinking like Fukuyama's end of history or countries with mcdonalds never going to war against each other.
freakflag 4y ago
Hanging a personal US flag in the US is a symbol of national pride (often by veterans) or a gaudy "'murica, fuck yeah!" statement (something like a dual axle pickup you only drive to Walmart) depending on your leanings.
vehemenz 4y ago
Nothing is wrong with nationalism, especially the Penn Jillette brand of nationalism you seem to be advocating for. I'm just not flag-obsessed and find it weird to have a flag in my periphery for ten hours a day.
brandelune 4y ago
Do I support my "local community" when I type on a given keyboard layout ? And when I switch the layout because I need to type in a different script, do I betray my "local community" ? And what about I live in a country that's not my "original" local community and need to use yet another layout ? Do I feel insecure when I don't see a flag I know in my menu bar ?

The specific claim was weirdly nationalistic, which seems reasonable since lots of users outside America use the “American English” keyboard layout, to the point where it’s not clear why that’s the right signifier. Probably more Indian users use that layout than Americans.

drcongo 4y ago

Veen 4y ago
> You know countries are just made up right? So are flags, programming languages, natural languages, genders, political parties, ideologies, religions, racial categories, and about a million other things people care deeply about. Dismissing human constructs as "made up" and therefore irrelevant betrays a complete lack of understanding about how human beings operate.
- drcongo 4y ago
  No it doesn't. Just because people do start wars over most of those things doesn't mean they should. It only takes a little shift to a less insular perspective to realise that the world doesn't have to be that way.
  - Veen 4y ago
    A shift that the vast majority of human beings who have ever lived have not made and will not make. Even if that shift were desirable, it's not going to happen. If you tell people that their nation is an irrelevant construct, most of them will tell you to FO.
    - drcongo 4y ago
      Cool, we should totally stick to killing each other over made up nonsense then.
      - mantas 4y ago
        People are killing each other for very concrete things - territory, access to raw goods and the goods themselves, control of other people etc. Wether you remove flags or not, destroy states or not, that won't change. Just a wishful thinking like Fukuyama's end of history or countries with mcdonalds never going to war against each other.

freakflag 4y ago

Hanging a personal US flag in the US is a symbol of national pride (often by veterans) or a gaudy "'murica, fuck yeah!" statement (something like a dual axle pickup you only drive to Walmart) depending on your leanings.

vehemenz 4y ago

Nothing is wrong with nationalism, especially the Penn Jillette brand of nationalism you seem to be advocating for. I'm just not flag-obsessed and find it weird to have a flag in my periphery for ten hours a day.

brandelune 4y ago

Do I support my "local community" when I type on a given keyboard layout ? And when I switch the layout because I need to type in a different script, do I betray my "local community" ? And what about I live in a country that's not my "original" local community and need to use yet another layout ? Do I feel insecure when I don't see a flag I know in my menu bar ?