Loving Your Country

[Arra]

In this post, I'm considering the USA in particular. It's occurred to me that many Americans treat their country similar to a god. Desecrating the flag is illegal, just as desecrating a bible is forbidden in Christianity. The rule that the flag cannot be dropped onto the ground reminds me of attending Synagogue and having to kiss a Siddur (the Jewish holy book) that has dropped to the ground. The flag is supposed to be considered a living thing, just as Catholics treat their wafers and the blood of Christ as living things. There are a startling amount of other rules for handling the American flag. National anthems are sung worldwide, but far more often in the US, and with extra respect. I understand having a certain amount of pride in the place that one lives if you're happy with the government or if it has a respectable history, but not to the point of worship. Many Americans do treat their feelings of 'love' and respect for their country as a touchy subject. I sometimes get the feeling that they're even a bit afraid of Big Brother coming down on them or something if they have a negative thought about it. That their government has brainwashed them so heavily into making them consider America to be such a profound place, a lot of them are incapable of fully realizing how stupid it all is. Even though most Americans seem unhappy with their government lately, they still seem to love the country itself. They're made to sing the anthem every day in school. This is repetition from a young age, a good way to brainwash someone, and should set off alarms. If you do love your country, what is your justification? Is it even possible to love a section of land? Why? Have Americans really been brainwashed, or is their respect for their country justified? Any other opinions or input on this issue?